How Kids Are Finding The Silver Lining During The "Stay At Home" Order

April 18, 2020

Everywhere I look and read, all articles point to how this is an unprecedented time in our world. In recent history, most of the country hasn’t shut down due to a virus. We are in uncharted territory and everyone is doing their best to figure out next steps.

People at home are navigating through their day in isolation or learning how to be a teacher to their kids. Most of us are used to being on the goal, having a full calendar and this virus is forcing us to slow down.

Like most parents, I’m ready to send my kids back to school, under the right conditions, but what that means is activities and sports will soon follow. As my ten year old so eloquently put it the other day, “We wouldn’t have been to do all this stuff if it weren’t for COVID-19.”

I dug a little deeper to see what he meant. This thought popped into his head as we were sitting at the table working on art projects. So we began to list all we’ve been able to do since the “stay at home” order was released:

Weekly hikes out at our local parks
Treating ourselves to ice cream once a week
Crafts, crafts and more crafts that would have gone by the wayside if we had sports
Time together as a family, playing games and watching movies
Spending time outside in the middle of the day when they would normally be at school
Walking the dog and getting out in the mornings
Bonding together while building forts and reading series of books
Learning Spanish and Italian
Enhancing our math skills with higher level apps
Testing new recipes
Conducting at home science projects
Finishing our basement
Talking though any issues on a deeper level

The list could go on and on as we soon realized once we started. While we enjoy our sports, the kids are looking at this as a break from the hustle and bustle of life. I know for me slowing down is essential to living a more productive and happy life, but I believe my kids are seeing this as a benefit as well.

I’m curious to see what procures after life gets back to “normal.” Are they going to relish in the free time we have or want to fill it back up with activities?

Either way is fine by me as long as they continue to see the silver lining in the present situation we are currently in at any given moment.

How are your kids responding to being home 24/7?