We’ve all been at home with our families for weeks now, and there’s no end in sight yet. Our family has found that with a basic routine, we can thrive! (Or something like that.)
Our daily routine has helped us maintain a sense of structure. Also, creativity loves constraint! I’m teaching my kiddos about responsibility and the importance of a daily routine, but also about flexibility and the element of surprise. As long as we’re getting our daily chores done (make the beds, clean up, brush our teeth), there’s always room for spontaneity and fun!
Here is a sample of our daily routine.
6:30–8 a.m. :: Wake up, eat breakfast, mommy workout, chores
8–9 a.m. :: Outdoor play
9–10 a.m. :: Write thank-you notes, math problems, LEGO builds, draw
11–3 p.m. :: Mommy goes to work; Daddy’s back!
11–12 p.m. :: PLAY WITH DADDY!
12–1 p.m. :: Lunch
1–2 p.m. :: Quiet time, books, quiet play
2–3 p.m. :: Creative time — Lunch Doodle with Mo Willems, clay art, create
3–4 p.m. :: MOMMY BACK! Outdoor play — walk in local woods
4–5 :: TV TIME!!!
5–6 p.m. :: Dinner — help cook and clean up
6–7 p.m. :: 3-year-old bedtime
7–8 p.m. :: 7-year-old bedtime
Hot tips:
*To break up the day, or to cover when we’re both working, we sometimes do a surprise picnic — by the TV (this sometimes involves a movie).
*Theme days are super fun! We’ve had a pajama day where we also did dinner for lunch. Or breakfast for dinner. Or both.
*Making outdoor time last as long as possible has also been helpful, whenever possible…I’ve seen some fun ideas with sidewalk chalk — use tape to create geometric shapes and patterns, color the shapes in, remove the tape, and VOILA! A beautiful creation
*There are also a number of online experiences. The Cincinnati zoo does a tour with their hippos that is pretty amazing. We also love the Frozen ride at Disney.
*We have had fun using a globe to pick out places we want to travel to someday — and then learning about them.
This is not an easy time. One thing that has helped is watching Glennon Doyle’s live storytimes on Instagram. The way she explains has been helpful. There’s also a Wow in the World Podcast where Mindy and Guy Raz do an introduction that explains the coronavirus really well and simply for kiddos. We loved that one! It’s the one about bees and vomit. I don’t want to end on that word, so I’ll say please give yourselves a healthy dose of grace and love and joy when it lasts….
