5 ways to Stay Entertained while Social Distancing

Lets face it, most of us have been at home now for at least 3 weeks social distancing and we are starting to feel like we are running out of things to do. We are doing the same thing week after week, balancing home life, work life, and your child's school life all under 1 roof. Life could be getting a little stressful and you could feel like you're in a bit of a rut. Here are a few suggestions of things that we have been doing to help make social distancing a little more entertaining for myself and my family.

1. "Travel" - I don't me literally travel, but you can choose different countries and cook different dishes from. We have recently "traveled" to Italy, Mexico and Greece! My family has really enjoyed these themed meals as they are foods that are different than what we would normally have. When I choose where we are going to "travel" to, I look  up different recipes for that country and then choose what I think will go together. I then look at the recipes and play around with it to make it have the taste that I think the boys will like. I also have chosen meals that we wouldn't normally have and that might take a little longer to make. With working from home and home schooling we are spending a lot more time as a family and in the kitchen. Why not add in cooking class as well as literacy and numeracy.

2. Play Games - Even if you are social distancing alone you can still play games and interact with other people. FaceTime is a great way to stay connected with one another and you can definitely play games over FaceTime. There are also other apps like Houseparty that allow you to play games and interact with friends. A great way to pass time while social distancing. And lets face it, you can only watch so much TV, and play candy crush until you start to feel like you are going to loose it. The most important part of playing games is the human interaction that you are having as it helps to keep your mind sharp. Also in case anyone was wondering about the Monopoly picture below, it is pond hockey Monopoly and I whipped my husbands butt!

3. Take on some Home projects - You know those home projects that you have been putting off because you don't have time for them... well guess what? Now you have all the time! I'm not saying to go out and spend a lot of money on a new home renovation but taking on some of those little tasks that you've been putting off could really be a good way to help keep your mind at ease. It can also help to give you a sense of accomplishment as well. I have started planting the seeds for my garden. A task that I have always wanted to try but just wasn't sure if I could handle the care that they need while also working and taking care of my family. Mornings are a little more relaxed now that we aren't rushing out the door to get to work on time and I can now make sure the little seeds are watered and taken care of before the day starts. I am also wanting to add a "counter" to my laundry room. We have a front load washer and dryer and I have found some Pinterest ideas about using plywood to create a counter. I'm still trying to convince my husband that this would be a fun task to take on. I have also been working on organizing the boxes of my old memories that my parents dropped off (like over a year ago) as well as all of the rooms in the house. When this is all over I will have to have a massive yard sale as I am purging and it feels good!

4. Exercise - I know I mentioned exercise in 5 Self - Care tips when Social Distancing at Home with Your Children but it really is important as it helps you to take your mind off all of the stress and anxiety you might be feeling during this time of unknown. I have made sure to pick a certain time of the day that fits into my work schedule, my husbands work schedule, and our home schooling schedule to get my workouts in. The past two weeks have been really nice out so I have made my workouts outside running and walking the dog. I have really enjoyed this time as it allows me to clear my head from the morning work/homeschooling balance and get ready for the afternoon work and mothering schedule. As a teacher, I am also still trying to settle into what "online" learning is going to look like, and what my role as an educator will be. This has been a thought of a lot of my runs lately, and although I am thinking about a potential stressor as I am running, I still find that once I am done I have relieved some of the days stressors.

5. Movie Nights - having family movie nights where you rent a movie or pick one out on one of the many service providers and get some good snacks can be a great way to relax. Even if you are alone during this social distancing you can have a FaceTime family movie and really just spend some time with someone who will help to make you feel at ease. You can have someone who will have a good conversation or just sit there and enjoy the movie with you. Either way it will be a good way for everyone to take some time and enjoy themselves.