How to survive quarantine with your husband and kids : Things to do

Apr 1, 2020

6 min read

Wow, firstly, can everybody clap for the wonderfully dramatic entrance that Corona has made around the world! She appeared from nowhere and wants to hang around like David Blaine. I am honestly puzzled at the speed at which this unseen virus is taking hold and it is such a shame to see how many lives have been lost to the horrible symptoms.

The entire world is in agreement that social distancing is the easiest way to help save lives. In reality, it's not the virus that is spreading, its people that are spreading the virus, so ultimately, let's all use our brains and stay at home. Unfortunately for many, being inside is going to impact your social life; nevertheless, I mean, who wouldn’t want to be at home?! *big cheers* You have your warm bed! You can work from home whilst you’ve got your feet up watching the Marvel films back to back in the right order. Although this sounds fantastic, don’t forget to read the small print… if you’re socially isolating with family, then you have a lot more to consider with regards to personal space and boundaries. This would be the true test to see whether you can really live with someone! Now is the time that you might realise your partner clicks his toes too much or your kids act just like you. Oh well, you’ve got to live with it for the next 12 weeks, or better yet, lets just keep ourselves safe and well for the rest of 2020!

All that’s on my mind at the moment is, if I don’t get to grips with social isolation, I’m either going to end up pregnant or divorced. How many of you can say the same? lol. Moving on swiftly, I’ve put together a list of things that you all could use to survive quarantine at home with family. I would love to hear any ideas you have that have helped keep you blissfully sane during this time; like this post and leave a comment down below.

Set up a structure & routine

If you're working from home, make sure you plan our your day - it’s likely to go a lot faster. Factor in where you’re actually going to do your work (preferably a separate space), and set aside time for comfort breaks and brunch. I’m not currently working from home because of the nature of my profession; however, I work shifts, and on my days off I’m home just like the rest of you.

Try to structure your day by starting it off right. It’s so easy to stay in your pyjamas because you’re not actually going anywhere, but don’t be tempted. Make an effort each day to get dressed, on some days you could pamper yourself, and some nights if you would have normally had a date night, then keep that same energy!

If you’re home on your own, this could be a good thing as it means you have your own space, which is less likely if you’re living with family and friends. If you’re isolating with others, remember to give each other room and personal space; if you and your husband are both WFH, don’t hog the best work space or lighting in the house. Spend some time apart from each other and you’ll appreciate it when you return. It may be difficult if you’re WFH in the same space where your kids play…these are factors to think about. If you’re a stay at home mum, I’m sure you’re already used to being home with some level of social distancing; however it’s still important to try to organise your day as well.

When planning your daily routine, don’t forget to keep moving! We could all happily kick back and chill, and if we’re not careful we can become idle and stiff. Let’s remember to do some exercise, even if it’s a light walk around the garden, take that daily government-authorised jog, or do some yoga, it’s always great to keep moving. I also think a lot of us will need to learn how to socially distance ourselves from the fridge *me included*.

Get things done

Raise your hand if you’ve been putting off doing the little things, and making constant excuses that’s there just not enough time. Well all of sudden you have time in abundance now and nobody is here for your excuses love. Personally, I’ll own up and say I have also had to put my own procrastination aside and start trying to get things done. Here’s a few ideas that could keep you occupied:

Clean the house
Re-arrange furniture / redecorate
DIY
Hair-care (youtube a few new hairstyles)
Self-care (hot bath, facials, nails)
Delete old pictures from your camera roll.
Start a blog
Make a Pintrest board
Read a book
Organise your books or music playlist
Tackle a new project
Pick out some new outfits
Up-cylcing (turn old outfits into new designs or soft furnishing)
Cook a new dish
Pray
Yoga
Clean your shoes, bags, old make-up brushes

The list is endless!

Entertainment

Being at home is a dream if you’ve paid for your Netflix account! Don’t say I didn’t tell you, but now is the time to binge watch. Think of all the shows you haven’t been able to watch, or have watched but just want to watch again just because you have time. Thankfully in my home, we have several devices, which is amazing because it means that whilst hubby is watching YouTube to become an expert in whoknowswhat, I am casually kicking back watching a new series on TV and the kids have been quarantined to the corner to watch education cartoons on the iPad, if they're lucky. At the end of the day; however, it always good to bring everyone together for a little family time to watch a U-rated film that keeps us all cuddled up together on the sofa. Please share your must-watch programs or films in the comments down below!

Whether you’re home with family or room mates, there are also other great ways to keep entertained. You could play a few board or card games, such as Monopoly (FYI, I refuse to play because everyone cheats and leaves me broke or with the waterworks so I’m over it), Articulate, Black Jack. Alternatively, if you don’t have the games at home, why not play interactive games on your phone. There are apps that allow you to play charades or if you like to make videos, you can join apps like Tiktok.

If you’re looking for something more relaxing, why not read a book, or listen to an audiobook or podcast. You could learn a new language, or listen to music and expand your genres.

For kids, there is an abundance of online resources to help keep those beady eyes in their books and out of your business. I can’t speak for homeschooling; however I’ve linked a few resources below for children’s learning. Also, try to engage them in new activities each day like painting or role play. The twins were recently gifted a play sink with plates and cutlery and they’ve been ‘cooking’ me chicken all week.

Socialise

Its so important to stay connected with your friends and family. Social distancing does not mean you can’t socialise, you just have to use other means. There are a lot of ways you can keep in touch with others, e.g. why not make an actual phone call. Where we are all so digital these days with messaging that we forget to actually speak to people. Why not reach out to a friend and find out how they’re coping with being home. Talking does good for your mental health and it could also relieve some anxiety by sharing your experiences.

Let’s not forget about video messaging. You can face-time your family members, or even use an app to start a video group chat! This is probably to the easiest way to check on your tribe without leaving your sofa. If you can, it would be good to get children involved - Imagine children who are usually used to highly social environments having to stop school and not see their friends. Why not involve them in family catch ups and schedule in time to call their friends.

Socialising with those you actually live with is very important. Just because you’re home with them doesn’t mean you’re actually present. Spending time at home, has made me realise how important the little conversations are with my husband and children. I must admit, there have been times when the convo has gone dry and I’m sat there trying to count the lines on the laminate floorboards; nonetheless, being together has honestly brought us closer. We can joke and laugh about anything, discuss a video we’ve just watched, make plans or set goals for the future. With the kids, as there only 2yo, I’ve mostly been singing along to Disney because thankfully, that’s all they’re concerned about.

I hope all the above has been helpful! I am definitely going to take some of my own advice and get some rest where I can. I’m going to use this lockdown to really appreciate family time, as it has really put some priorities into perspective! Thanks for reading, and don’t forget to let me know what other things we could be doing to survive quarantine. Also, please subscribe to the blog for updates on new posts!