Isolation With Children
We asked one of our friends to tell us what it's like being in isolation with kids; here's what she had to say.
Quarantine with Kiddos
It’s 2020, who would have thought that the world would be in isolation? I don’t think that
anyone could have prepared for the time at home, the rest, the social distancing from friends
and family, and being stuck inside with CHILDREN 24/7 for weeks and weeks.
I mean don’t let me fool you, having extra time with my 5-year-old and 6-year-old is amazing
and I am so lucky to have the ability to stay home and help them learn, but this is exhausting.
Kudos to the teachers who put their time and patience towards children every day.
So, where do I start? Our days start by waking up nice and early, making breakfast, usually toast
and fruit then talking about our dreams we had. R is the one who remembers his dreams, he
dreams about playing hockey with his friends back at school and scoring lots and lots of goals.
This kid eats, sleeps and breathes hockey. D doesn’t usually remember his dreams, so he will
ask R if he was in his dream and whine a little about not remembering anything. I will explain
that we dream every night but sometimes we don’t remember our dreams and that is okay.
Next comes chores; the boys have to attempt to make their beds, get dressed and put their
clothes in the laundry. One would think this is an easy task… But for a 5 and 6-year-old this is
the end of the world. Routine is key, as long as we try to do this every day it becomes more of a
habit and eventually they will stop complaining, right?
Homeschooling; this is the next step of the day. We will spend some time with language, usually
writing and sentences. Then onto math, which includes diagrams, using objects in the home
and an online game called “Prodigy”. It is challenging getting them to focus on the tasks and
keeping them engaged. Some days they are extremely excited to do some schoolwork, others
they lose focus and want to do other things. I try not to force the learning because I want them
to enjoy and look forward to school time. So, we might take a break and come back to it. The
boys are always really excited for their virtual Cosmic Yoga time and the video calls with the
class to see all of their friends.
Next is outdoor time; we try to get outside every day. If it is raining, we play hockey inside…
yes, I know scuffed walls and possibly breaking things. EEEK! If it is nice, which it has been
lately, the boys will be outside for hours. Sidewalk chalk, skipping ropes, hockey, scooters and
bikes to pass the time.
Wind down time comes and we will get ready for dinner, bath and bed. I allow screen time
because mom needs a break. This allows me time for a tea… sometimes a cider, nothing wrong
with a little reward. Clean up from the day we had and to get ready for what my family calls
‘chill time’. Chill time is sometimes screen time, book reading, FaceTime with family and friends
or bubble bath. It all depends on the day. I try to get the boys to bed around 8:30 p.m. because
I want that consistency for when things return to normal.
All in all, quarantine with kids is a lot of work, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. Getting
extra time with the two most important things in my life is so amazing. When will we have this
time again? Yes, getting back to normal life will be nice when it happens, and I know lots of us
are wondering when that will be. But, my biggest piece of advice is to slow down, take your
time to adjust to the changes around us, we cannot change it. Enjoy your time and think about
what your new ‘normal’ will look like after this is all over.
Thanks for reading,
-S
Quarantine with Kiddos
It’s 2020, who would have thought that the world would be in isolation? I don’t think that
anyone could have prepared for the time at home, the rest, the social distancing from friends
and family, and being stuck inside with CHILDREN 24/7 for weeks and weeks.
I mean don’t let me fool you, having extra time with my 5-year-old and 6-year-old is amazing
and I am so lucky to have the ability to stay home and help them learn, but this is exhausting.
Kudos to the teachers who put their time and patience towards children every day.
So, where do I start? Our days start by waking up nice and early, making breakfast, usually toast
and fruit then talking about our dreams we had. R is the one who remembers his dreams, he
dreams about playing hockey with his friends back at school and scoring lots and lots of goals.
This kid eats, sleeps and breathes hockey. D doesn’t usually remember his dreams, so he will
ask R if he was in his dream and whine a little about not remembering anything. I will explain
that we dream every night but sometimes we don’t remember our dreams and that is okay.
Next comes chores; the boys have to attempt to make their beds, get dressed and put their
clothes in the laundry. One would think this is an easy task… But for a 5 and 6-year-old this is
the end of the world. Routine is key, as long as we try to do this every day it becomes more of a
habit and eventually they will stop complaining, right?
Homeschooling; this is the next step of the day. We will spend some time with language, usually
writing and sentences. Then onto math, which includes diagrams, using objects in the home
and an online game called “Prodigy”. It is challenging getting them to focus on the tasks and
keeping them engaged. Some days they are extremely excited to do some schoolwork, others
they lose focus and want to do other things. I try not to force the learning because I want them
to enjoy and look forward to school time. So, we might take a break and come back to it. The
boys are always really excited for their virtual Cosmic Yoga time and the video calls with the
class to see all of their friends.
Next is outdoor time; we try to get outside every day. If it is raining, we play hockey inside…
yes, I know scuffed walls and possibly breaking things. EEEK! If it is nice, which it has been
lately, the boys will be outside for hours. Sidewalk chalk, skipping ropes, hockey, scooters and
bikes to pass the time.
Wind down time comes and we will get ready for dinner, bath and bed. I allow screen time
because mom needs a break. This allows me time for a tea… sometimes a cider, nothing wrong
with a little reward. Clean up from the day we had and to get ready for what my family calls
‘chill time’. Chill time is sometimes screen time, book reading, FaceTime with family and friends
or bubble bath. It all depends on the day. I try to get the boys to bed around 8:30 p.m. because
I want that consistency for when things return to normal.
All in all, quarantine with kids is a lot of work, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. Getting
extra time with the two most important things in my life is so amazing. When will we have this
time again? Yes, getting back to normal life will be nice when it happens, and I know lots of us
are wondering when that will be. But, my biggest piece of advice is to slow down, take your
time to adjust to the changes around us, we cannot change it. Enjoy your time and think about
what your new ‘normal’ will look like after this is all over.
Thanks for reading,
-S
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