This is an unprecedented time in the world right now with COVID-19 (aka Coronavirus) pandemic.  Schools are closed until further notice where I live, Atlanta, and most other cities aren’t far behind.  Most companies are recommending people who can work remotely do that until further notice.  Our kids need to keep learning and we need to keep working.  This is going to be an interesting few weeks, or who knows how long?!  In preparation for the weeks and months ahead, here are some thoughts and suggestions on how to make it the most productive and fun.

For Starters…

• Check your mindset – Your mindset is key. Get prepared mentally and “embrace the suck” as some in the military say.  You need to realize this is going to be challenging at times and very different, but hopefully fun at times too.  You will learn and evolve along the way and every day you can make adjustments and new choices.
• Look for the positives – I’m not intending to overlook the difficulties and sadness that has already and will come from this time, but as with all things there can also be silver linings. Look for the silver linings.  Some positives could include not having your usual commute or that you’ll get to see and spend more time with your kids.
• Use this as a time to embrace minimalism – In a recent article, trend forecaster Li Edelkoort shares “It seems we are massively entering a quarantine of consumption where we will learn how to be happy just with a simple dress, rediscovering old favourites we own, reading a forgotten book and cooking up a storm to make life beautiful.” I agree with her, and I do think the time we’re entering will remind us we can live much more simply than we often do.  We’ll be spending much more time at home and we can use it as a time to simplify our homes to make for happier and more productive spaces.  If you have places in your home that overwhelm you, use this time to change that.
• Leverage the outdoors and stay active – The weather is nice in many parts of the world right now, so embrace that as much as you can. Opt outside as much as you can.  Get the kids to play outside, get them to do their schoolwork outside, you can work outside, and when you need a break go walk outside for a few minutes.  The more you enjoy the outdoors and stay active, the better you will feel.  Try to create and stick with some sort of a workout routine or time focused on movement throughout the day.  This could be anything from going for a run, to doing a yoga class on YouTube, to just getting up and walking around every 15-30 minutes.  Get your kids to do the same!
• You need a plan – You need to think ahead for what’s to come and get some plans in motion. Below are my thoughts on how to plan for both working from home and the kids being out of school.

Working from home

• Get your workspace set up and ready. Whether it’s a corner in your bedroom, a proper home office, or any other space, get it ready.  Get the basics taken care of, but also consider investing in some areas that might make this a more productive situation over the coming weeks and months.  None of us know how long this is going to last.
  • • Figure out what you need, and if you’re able to invest in a few new things to get your space right. This comment is coming from a minimalist who doesn’t love spending money or buying new things.  This is a unique time in the world, and it requires different thinking.  Typically, most people don’t try to work from home at a full-time job and watch/teach their kids.  Since we’re being atypical, it’s okay to invest in a few things. Things you might need:
      • A monitor – I love my macbook air, but it’s a tiny little thing. It’s totally fine to work on for a day or two, the thought of working on it for weeks on end is a little concerning. So, while everyone else was buying toilet paper last week, I went to Best Buy and bought a monitor.  I spent ~$270 on a 27” Samsung curved monitor, and so far it’s been game-changing.  I’ve worked on it for a couple days, and it truly makes the experience of working from home better.
      • Keyboard, mouse, etc. – I thought ahead and took home my extra charger, wireless mouse, and wireless keyboard when I left the office last week and I’m using those in my setup.  If you don’t have that option, consider investing in a set for your house.
      • Clean up and tidy the space – Get the space nice and tidy. It’s hard for me to work next to a big mess personally. I think a clean and tidy space is helpful for anyone and certainly can’t hurt. 
      • Lighting – Make sure you have good lighting, are nearby a window to get some natural light.
    • Make sure your background is appropriate for video calls. You’re likely going to be on some video calls, so plan ahead there.  My office area is inside a small closet in our master bedroom, so the background is my bed/nightstands.  This will inspire me to make my bed and keep my nightstands tidy every day.
    • Make sure your internet connection works well wherever you are setup. Make sure the internet plan you have is solid and you have good Wi-Fi coverage in your home office.  I am big on saving money in many areas, but this is a good time to splurge and make sure you have the speed/quality you need.
• Get some noise cancelling headphones. I love mine so much I wrote an entire blog post on them.  They are really going to come in handy over the next few weeks.
• Make your bed and get dressed – Get up in the morning, make your bed, and get dressed. This will make you feel better and more productive throughout the day.  I’m not suggesting you get dressed in anything particularly nice, I’m just saying put on some real clothes, brush your hair, wash your face, and make a real day out of this!  One of my good friends was joking she was going to buy a new pair of nice sweatpants to get ready for all of this time working at home with her kids.  I’m pretty sure she was serious actually.  You can also take a shower if you’re really feeling ambitious, but let’s be real, that may not happen every day.
• Talk to your partner or spouse (if applicable) and work together. Communication is key for any healthy relationship.  Many people are going to be home with a spouse who will also be trying to work while the kids are home.  Some people may be working from home alone with kids because they are a single-parent, or their spouse has a job that still requires them to show up in person during this time.  Talk with your partner or spouse and come up with some preferences and best practices for how you each want to work.  This could include:
  • • Sharing a workstation or taking turns in the more quiet/better setup area of your house.
    • Tag teaming to cover who’s in charge of the kids during different times so you can each have quiet/focused time for specific calls or things you need to do.

Your kids are out of school and at home

My kids are 8, 9, and 12 so keep in mind that is the perspective I am coming from. I think many of these principles and ideas can be used on younger or older kids with a few adjustments.  You may also need adjustments for a single child vs. multiple children.

• Kids need structure – This is a fact. Kids do better with structure, and they do better when they are on a schedule of some sorts.  So remember…you’re creating some structure and a plan not just for you, but because it’s what is best for your kids.
• You need a plan – I would not recommend you just wing it. I also don’t think you need a super rigid plan.  I think having a general framework and allowing for flexibility is the key.  Flexibility within a framework!  The idea of days on end at home without any plan feels overwhelming to me, so the idea of creating a plan is exciting.  My overall plan is that I am going to bucket all of the potential ways my kids can spend time, and then put it into a proposed schedule with time blocks that the kids can choose from throughout the day.  The kids will have goals they need to meet each day, or by the end of the week.  For example, they need to read for 90 minutes a day.  I don’t as much care when they read, as long as they meet their 90-minute goal in each day or by the end of the week.  If they want to read 2 hours one day, they just shortened their goal to 1 hour for another day.
• Ensure they are learning – Some kids, and maybe adults, think this is just extra vacation.  I wish.  I’m pretty sure we’re expected to keep our kid’s education going, at least a little bit.  Most school districts are still figuring out what eLearning they will be doing. As that comes out, we’ll need to incorporate it into our days.
• Think through the categories or buckets of activities your kids can do throughout a day – Determine these and then come up with a plan or system for how you’ll incorporate them into your day. Here are some examples of those categories:
  • • Breakfast, snacks, and lunch – Making sure your kids are eating reasonably healthy will help them focus and be in a good mood throughout the day. If the kids are eating tons of sugar and junk food, it’s not going to make this whole experience more enjoyable.
    • Reading – Reading is good for kids of all ages. Make sure your kids are spending plenty of time reading.  We went to the library late last week to stock up on books. If you missed that opportunity there are plenty of other optionssuch as using the library’s free app, Libby, for audio books or ebooks, exchanging books with friends or neighbors, or reading the unread books that are throughout your house.  This is another win-win category.  It’s good for your kids and it will create some quiet time for you.
    • eLearning – In addition to following whatever guidelines your school district shares, you can also proactively leverage things like the free Khan academy and many other websites and apps. There are many paid ones, but there are also plenty of really good free ones.  You do not have to spend money to make this effective.
    • Recess / Outside time – This time is critically important for kids, and win-win all around. It lets kids get their energy out, it creates some quiet time inside your house, and your kids have fun!
    • Puzzles, board games, and card games – I’d prefer my kids do stuff like this vs. have screen time, so I’m going to encourage activities like this as much as I can. All of these activities are teaching kids various important skills and life lessons, and it’s a great productive way for them to spend their time.
    • Facetime and phone calls with their friends – This is a great thing even young kids can do to stay connected with their friends while school is out. My 8-year-old spent a full hour on phone facetiming with 2 of her friends Friday.  Another win-win activity, it occupies kids at two different houses and they entertain each other!
    • Art, Music, Extra Curriculars – Think of art, music and other creative activities as extracurriculars. Give your kids a special activity or let them get creative and design the activity or the focus of their time.
    • Screen time – This is last on the list for a reason. Screen time is my last resort.  My kids will definitely get some screen time, but I am going to try to limit it during the Monday to Friday week as much as possible.  I also prioritize group TV watching over individual iPad/screen time.  For example, I’d rather my 3 kids watch the same show or YouTube video together as there is at least a social element and some good discussion happening along the way.
• Get Creative! – I am going to try to come up with some fun “assignments” for the kids throughout the week.  I’m not going to get too crazy with this, but since this is a unique time, I want to try to make the best of it and create some cool activities and memories.  Think about what your kids love to do and try to create some customized activities around that.  I’m still working through some ideas, but here are a couple things I may do:
  • • Create an obstacle course outside – Let the kids design the path and obstacles and draw it out on a fancy map. Once it’s designed, help your kids build the course and then time them doing it. Let them create special awards they each get when they finish the obstacle course.
    • Survivor Assignment – We love watching CBS’s Survivor as a family. It’s a great show and it teaches the kids so many lessons about life and strategy, and it’s 90% wholesome.   We pay $10 a month for CBS All Access and have access to all 40 seasons.  I’m going to let the kids watch an old season they haven’t watched yet  by themselves. This will be fun for the kids and give the adults some quiet work time.  I am also going to make-up various questions and activities for them based on the season they are watching.  For example, after each episode they will have an assignment. It might be to write out three lessons they’ve learned or to write who they think is going to win the season and why.  Other activities could include creating their own challenge outside to match one of the challenges from the episode, or drawing out what their survivor island would look like if they had to live on one.  I’m hoping this is something they will be excited to do and that it will feel less like work while they are learning things in the process.
• Keep things tidy – Create some rules around the house to keep things sane. For example, one of our big rules will be: When you take something out and use it, you put it away before you can start on something else.  This has always been a rule in our house, but it only gets followed about 14% of the time.  For my own sanity, we’re going to get stricter on this one now.
• Get the kids workspaces ready – Just like you did for your own, proactively think about your kids’ workspaces. Make sure you have what your kids will need to work effectively.  And don’t be afraid to switch things up.  Use the outdoors and let your kids read outside in a tree, or on the hammock, or laying on a blanket in the grass.

***Here is a rough draft of the weekly schedule and organizer I am going to use with my kids during this time.  This is a template, so please download it and customize and personalize it for yourself.

Okay, so we’ll see how this goes.  Despite all my great plans, fifteen minutes in they could go to crap, and I am hiding in a corner wearing my noise cancelling headphones while my kids are eating ice cream and binge-watching YouTube.  I’m trying to go in with the right mindset.  I know it’s not going to be all unicorns and roses, but I do hope I can contain the chaos and try to keep everyone happy, or at least sane, along the way.  Good luck to you all, I think we’re going to need it.

PS – Written while listening to Changes by Justin Bieber  

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