It is almost 3 months since our ‘new lives’ were thrust upon us by a little virus. Quarantine Life made sure our days became different, routines were shuffled, plans and parties were cancelled , however I did things to stay sane in quarantine.
From explaining why we could not visit Nano or Daado anymore, to getting accustomed to seeing friends only on Zoom (online classes mostly), our kids perhaps have been most impacted. So when Peek Freans Gluco asked me to share how I was keeping the kids busy indoors at home, I had to talk about it.
To keep my family’s sanity intact, I decided very early on that I will try and keep our lives as normal as they were pre-quarantine. How am I achieving that? Here’s how!
SAME SLEEP PATTERNS IN QUARANTINE LIFE
Raniya (age 9) and Zakriya (age 5) were used to sleeping at 8pm, whether it was a school night or the weekend. They were used to getting up at 5 am and have a good head start to school. Even in lock down, their routine is pretty similar, now they are in bed at 9 pm and up at 6 am. So they are mentally in the same zone. This is a very important reason why they have not become jittery.
BUILDING ON HOBBIES IN QUARANTINE
Raniya has been an ardent art lover, and now she takes an hour long class with Zakriya to keep him engaged in a healthy activity. They usually do this during their snack time. I make her in charge of the little art class at home and try to keep the art supplies replenished. They do a variety of artworks and challenges which keep them engaged.
LEARNING NEW THINGS
I always wanted to learn how to play the guitar, and seeing Raniya’s love for music, we were encouraged to find an online tutor to help us learn. We practice together, while Zakriya listens and chills. It is a great mom-beti bonding.
WE READ TOGETHER
We dedicate one hour before bed time to read. Sometimes we read to each other and sometimes we read to ourselves, but every nigh the kids have stories to tell as they sleep. And their reading skills have improved a lot.
Would love to hear what you are doing at home with the kids. I think today we just mighty bake a cake!!
