Home All Day

We spent a week in North Carolina and, as my friend said, came back to a different world. And she wasn't referring to the daffodils blooming. As I listen to updates, I've said "this is unbelievable" so many times the last couple days that it has nearly become meaningless.

Like everyone else, I'm trying to find ways to keep my children happy and healthy. Since we homeschool, our daily life hasn't changed drastically, but I'm realizing how much we enjoy social life. As one by one, the events on our calendar have been canceled, my children (and me too) wonder what we are going to DO.

So Monday I sat down with a piece of paper and made a list with the help of my children. We came up with some things that we could do that don't involve other people. Things like geocaching, which Ed used to do with the children.

Each child picked a day to plan the menus and cook. I allowed them to choose some special items such as root beef floats. Yesterday I braved the grocery store, searching two stores before I found everything on their lists.

I'm grateful for the warmer weather. Spring is a great time to be stuck at home and with a little encouragement, I think I can get them started on some outdoor projects. Maybe my flower beds will be weeded early this year.

With schools closing, many of my friends are doing some version of homeschooling. I've been asked how to manage children in the house all day long. Many days I don't feel like I'm managing well, but the best days have a routine.

Some of us are more naturally scheduled, and others relish flexibility, so routine will mean different things to each of us. Most children thrive on knowing what is expected, and their lives are feeling off-center right now. You can use this time as a free-for-all vacation, but I think you and your children will benefit from a routine of meals, chores, study, outdoor time, and play.

My children have been spending a lot of time practicing instruments recently. I've always wanted my children to learn to play an instrument, and I taught them a little piano, but never was consistent and the last few crazy years, stopped completely. It felt overwhelming to me to schedule lessons for them.

My ten-year-old daughter is using Hoffman Academy to learn piano. You can watch the videos for free, but we bought the membership to get the printables and the practice sessions. The cost is far cheaper than lessons, and the material in the course is high quality. You can sign up for a free trial to see if it is a good fit for you.

My boys are using Yousician to learn both guitar and ukulele and have made great progress. I love hearing them strum. Again I decided, after trying it for free, that the membership was a bargain for as much as my children were using it.

Another online membership we use and love is Scribd. I wrote about this audio book membership a few months ago, and we continue to love it. Right now, if you use my sister's link, you can get one or more free months. We have enjoyed hours of ebooks and audio books through Scribd.

I'd love if you would share your ideas on how to keep your children busy. What do you plan to do with your children these next few weeks at home?