March 15, 2020

When schools close down, stores run out of toilet paper, and sickness abounds, what do you do? You stay home. I’ve always loved hibernating inside my house, but I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. So I’ve put together a guide on how to survive the next few weeks (or more) if you’re stuck in your house.

Prepare your house

The first step in staying home is making sure you have everything you might need in your house. This includes a few weeks worth of meat, vegetables, fruit, soup, pasta, bread, milk, snacks, drinks and whatever else you want to eat/drink. You will need toilet paper, but by no means does this mean buy out the store. One roll per person should last for a few weeks. Assuming you can locate any at the moment. If you can’t, ask friends and family to borrow some of theirs.

If you’re afraid of germs or sickness, by all means pick up some medicine, ginger ale, tea, chicken noodle soup, tissues, and cough drops. If your family isn’t exhibiting any symptoms of illness, you should be fine with whatever you have in the house already. You can always go out to the store to pick up things as you need them.

Also, think about what you might want to do during the time you will be home. Are you working at home or do you have time to spend on hobbies? Do you have movies and books to entertain you? If not, pick up some. Get some canvas and paint to do some art projects. If you don’t want to spend money, find things that are free online that will occupy your time. Locate websites and line up some online classes you can take for free. I’ve found some great links for you to check out, so keep reading.

Take each day as it comes, one day at a time.

Some schools are closed for a few weeks, and some don’t have any idea when they’ll reopen. So you might be home for some time. Don’t look at it like a death sentence. Instead, take in each day with fresh eyes. Think about all the things that this day can hold. Opportunities await you. Today might be the day you learn to make cookies. Or start a new hobby, like knitting. Perhaps you and your children can finally finish that puzzle that’s been on the table for months.

Start a journal, writing about the things you do every day, or just your thoughts and emotions. Start a blog and connect with people online.

Enjoy every day, and be thankful for the time you have to reconnect with your children and your house. Have you been putting off a project because you never had time? Well, now is the time.

Ideas for filling time

Learn something new

If you have internet access, you can learn anything you want to. Just type in what you want to learn in a search engine and you’ll find websites about the topic. I’ve recently seen posts about educational sites offering free classes or online tutorials for students affected by closed schools. Check out the list here.

Other links for online learning:

Play something

Games can be very entertaining when you have time to spend playing them. My family loves board games, video games and card games. So if you’ve got a few of those, pick some you can play together. Our favorite video game at the moment is the Legend of Zelda game Breath of the Wild. There are so many things you can do with this game that it can easily help you waste time. Stardew Valley and The Witness are excellent as well.

Other games you can play include free game apps on your phone, crossword puzzles or logic puzzles, and computer games, like Solitaire and Mindsweeper. Some really great game apps for free, which I play often, include: I Love Hue Too, Wonka’s World of Candy, Candycrush, Farm Heroes, Kami 2, Clay Jam, Plants vs. Zombies, Angry Birds.

If you don’t have any games, create one. Get some cardboard or paper, draw a few boxes with instructions in each box, grab some dice and game pieces and play! Be creative and make something amazing.

Read

This is perhaps my favorite activity, besides video games. I’m one of those people who continually buys books, but most of them remain unread. So when I suddenly found myself with lots of time at home recently, I started reading those books. It’s the best way to spend time during the cold winter months, cuddled on the couch with a blanket and a good beverage.

So if you and the kids have books at your disposal to read, set aside reading time every day. In my town, the public library has closed for the time being, so borrowing books might not be an option. If you don’t have a lot of books at home, you do have some online options to find ebooks. Your local library may have links on their website where you can find free ebooks using your library card, so definitely look into that.

Otherwise, here are some links to online ebook sites:

Borrowing books from friends and family may also be an option. But please be careful if they’re sick, as you don’t want to also borrow germs.

Listen to music or podcasts

If you love music, now is the time to get out that favorite album you love to listen to. What’s great about listening to music is that you can do it while also doing other activities. I like listening to music while doing dishes or chores, or if I’m reading and I need some light background noise.

This could be a great way to educate the kids about your favorite musicians or singers. And they can show you the new music they’re into. Start a musical dance party in your kitchen. Technology has made it easier than ever to find music online to stream through phones, Alexa devices, google devices, or computers.

Podcasts are another option for listening. I haven’t gotten too much into podcasts, but I have friends who are hooked on them. And there are so many different podcasts out there that you’re sure to find one to interest you. Audiobooks are also great. Here are some apps/sites to check out:

Watch something

If you’ve been wanting to binge watch a series or there’s a movie you haven’t watched yet, watch it. If you don’t know what to watch, I guarantee that if you turn on the TV, a Harry Potter movie will be on somewhere. I’m watching one right now. Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Apple TV, Amazon Prime and YouTube offer many options if you aren’t sure what to watch. Here are some of my favorites:

  • The Magicians (SyFy)
  • Ugly Delicious (Netflix)
  • The Story of God with Morgan Freeman (Netflix)
  • Dark (Netflix)
  • Manifest (NBC)
  • Doctor Who (BBC America)
  • Star Trek: Picard (CBS All Access)
  • Peaky Blinders (Netflix)
  • Black Mirror (Netflix)
  • X-Files (Amazon Prime)
  • Stranger Things (Netflix)
  • Castle Rock (Hulu)
  • The Mandalorian (Disney+)
  • The Morning Show (Apple TV)

There are free options for streaming media. Here are some to check out:

Cook. If you don’t know how to cook, learn to cook.

I love cooking. But I didn’t always know how. I once burned water. Really. So if I can learn to cook, than anyone can.

With all this time spent at home, you can tackle any recipe that you want to make. Cookies and baked goods are great options, especially for the kids. Fresh pasta dishes and roasted vegetables are also easy.

I have an Instantpot, and it’s revolutionized the way I cook. A quick search online can give you any type of instantpot recipe you can think of.

If you aren’t already a cook, don’t fret. I learned by watching Food Network, and they also have a great app with tutorials and recipes. Netflix also has some great food series for inspiration and general amusement. My favorites are “Ugly Delicious”, which just came out with season 2, “The Great British Baking Show”, “Salt Fat Acid Heat”, “Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner “, and “Gordon Ramsay Uncharted.” Most of these incorporate travelling to different countries to explore food. Highly recommend all of these shows.

Get Artsy

Take some time to draw or paint while you are at home. Get the crayons out and do some coloring. Between myself and the kids, we’ve got about 30 coloring books (if not more) in my house. Sit down and color together, while watching television or listening to music. It’s a great way to relax, while also creating something beautiful.

Get Outside

Spend some time outside if the weather permits. Find a park or walking area where people are scarce, or where you can walk around without too much human interaction. If you have a yard, sit outside and soak in the sunshine. This activity depends on if its nice outside. If it’s raining, don’t go outside.

Socialize online

The next best thing to spending actual time with people is socializing online. Technology allows us to connect with people all over the world, using video chatting, texting, telephones, and whatever other ways there are of talking with people without actually being in the same room as they are. This is the best option for human interaction at this time, and will give you the much needed support you might need so you don’t feel so isolated. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are good sites/apps for staying connected.

Clean house

When all else fails, there’s bound to be some housework to do. Dishes, dusting, laundry and vacuuming can be a nice distraction, while also keeping your home clean. This might be a good time to tackle those projects that you’ve been meaning to start, like cleaning out the attic, organizing your closet, sorting jewelry, or rearranging furniture.

Ultimately, do what feels natural while you’re looking after children or just distancing yourself from the world. Be safe and smart if you do have to go out. Wash your hands. Be careful who you interact with, especially if you know they are sick. Don’t hoard things, as that only causes more problems. And relax! You’re going to be okay. Catch up on sleep. Hug your kids. Eat some food.

In a way, I think the world just wants us all to slow down, enjoy our families, and get back to what really matters most in life. And there’s nothing wrong with stepping back, getting back to basics, and staying healthy.