Ok, so you are stuck in quarantine, trying to figure out what the heck to do while trying to keep your sanity. You struggle with, is it a Margarita or Pina Colada kind of day. Walking around in your pajamas hoping you remember to put on your shirt (or bottoms) when your company ZOOM call starts. You are a mess, I get it, I am too!
This is a tough time, and with the kids home for what looks like the until next school year you immediately put your hands in the pillow and scream!! Your daily routine is all messed up, the kids have miraculously become more efficient with schoolwork. Remember when it would take them 5 hours to do just 2 simple pages of homework and now, for some reason they seem to get their entire day’s load of school work done in like an hour. And once that is complete, comes the “Hey mom, Hey dad……” questions.
Thus, leaving you with the dilemma of “Do I ignore them and act like they aren’t here and just keep sipping on this……..errr……I mean keep working?” or “Stop what I am doing and find a way to entertain them for the next 8 hours?” Well, put the drink down, and take a deep breath, we have you covered. Here are some ideas to maybe make this time a little more fun and productive for all. For real, you can do this!
1. ‘IMILOA @ HOME
‘Imiloa Astronomy Center has created this #ImiloaAtHome for your keiki to discover new things. It’s pretty cool with videos about Black Holes, The Moon, etc… You can get there by visiting them online at https://imiloahawaii.org/imiloaathome
2. MAKE A SCHEDULE
I have seen this a couple of times, and when we applied it, it made our quarantined lives much easier! It’s quite simple actually, make a schedule and stick to it. How many of us have forgotten to feed our kids lunch…..um…I mean lost track of time…is it just us? LOL, but really, we get caught up with working from home, next thing you know it is 2pm and mutiny has begun!
The schedule is easy. Most of the keiki have a pre-planned schoolwork load, start with some reading, have them time themselves with a bell that rings on the hour, move to the next (Add time for recess and PE). The PE is one of the most important, let them run off some steam!
3. MORNING YOGA
My wife started doing this and it has really made a difference with the kiddos and their attitude and focus during the day. She just looked up this girl “Yoga with Adrianne” and plays it on YouTube for them. Hey, there is nothing wrong with a little stretching and zen to start your morning. If you prefer keeping it local, Click Here for the link to Sound Soul Yoga with Jami. There are so many people hosting virtual classes make sure to check our Event Calendar to find what works for you!
4. ADULT COLORING PAGES
Ok, yes, I said adult coloring pages. We started doing this as a family and before you knew it, 2 hours went by, the girls didn’t want to stop, and honestly, neither did me or my wife. It is super simple, here are some local pages to color: Patrick Ching Free Coloring Pages, Pu’uhuluhulu Coloring Pages, or you can simply GOOGLE the word “Zentangle” or Adult coloring pages, and print them out. It is very relaxing, and is a chance for the phones, tv and electronics to be set aside for some quality together time. Try it, I’m telling you, you will thank me later!
5. USE THIS AS A TIME TO TEACH
This is the perfect time to sit down with the family and talk about what is happening. Turn the news off, shut down the phones and Facebook and just have a conversation. Teach them about the importance of properly washing your hands, why social distancing is crucial at this time. Use this time to educate your family and have them prepared. This is also a great time to teach your ohana traditions that you grew up with. Maybe it is a certain dish you used to make with your grandmother, maybe it is making a throw net with uncle. This is a perfect time to bring back some of the lost traditions we once held so dear!
Keep calm and as the saying goes, “This too shall pass”. And once it does, we will all come out of this a little more prepared, a little more hungry to work, to support our local businesses, and to get back to a normal way of life.
I hope you all stay healthy and find a way to stay entertained for the next few weeks. Stay safe, stay informed and God Bless.
