Life has changed for all of us in these past weeks. It’s similar to a rollercoaster, there are some high moments and then some low ones as well. But, this time together has given much time to reflect about the current state in which we find ourselves. It’s interesting how we want to spend more time with our children and when we have it, it’s not quite how we imagined. All in all, we are keeping our heads up and trying to make unforgettable memories with our children.
It has been difficult to keep a regular schedule so we take it day by day. We try to attend the daily meetings with PBMS but sometimes our schedules just don’t work out. We try to have the kids do some work throughout the day, even if it’s only 15 minutes. Sometimes we have to bribe the kids! We have G (6 years old) do several pages in his workbook and read 2 books. J (4 years old) will often color and practice writing his letters. Both kids do not do this every day and we have learned that it’s ok.
We have been spending the majority of each day outside. Our children
love to run around and they truly enjoy the outdoors. We have been going
back to the basics. Our kids have been riding their bicycles, scooters,
and cars every day. We have been playing hopscotch, jump roping, and
playing tennis.
We have been trying to make fun adventures for the kids. On a couple of
occasions, we flew kites at the neighborhood school and had “Chick-Fil-A” picnic lunches.
One night, we had a movie night where the kids sold us popcorn and snacks before we watched “Descendants.”
At times we have to separate the kids as they tend to fight quite a bit.
They play with their toys, dress up in their old Halloween costumes,
play with Legos, and do puzzles quite a bit. We just try to mix it up
daily.
One day, G was feeling a bit sad as he wanted to go to the beach so
we brought it to him. We pitched the umbrellas in the mulch and made
some lemonade while reading some books.
I’m a big fan of doing experiments and crafts. We have made Ooblek, slime, and Play Doh, all of which can be messy but it keeps a smile on their faces and keeps them busy. Some experiments they love to do are the traveling rainbow water they did with Ms. Viola, volcano experiment with baking soda and vinegar. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFZhbEi19M8), and the Diet Coke and Mentos explosion (https://www.sciencekids.co.nz/experiments/dietcokementos.html)!
We have also tried to get them involved in our daily activities. They organize their toys and make their beds when prompted. G loves to stack chairs like they do in the classroom. They help me shuck corn, bake cakes, and make a mess. We recently made homemade lollipops which were a hit (https://www.justataste.com/easy-homemade-holiday-candy-lollipops-recipe/)!
We have also been sleeping in an 8-foot tent in our guest room for 3 weeks! It has made bedtime very interesting!
The kids have also been doing a bit of Facetime and Zoom to keep in
touch with their family and friends. It may not last long, but they
enjoy getting to see everyone’s faces and hear everyone’s voices. We
were able to go to their grandparent’s house nearby and do a social
distancing lunch in their driveway.
Overall, this time has been a surprise blessing in some ways. We get to
spend more time with our children and watch them develop in different
ways. We are adjusting to the new norm. We appreciate the simple
things like our health and happiness. We are blessed to be surrounded
by wonderful family, friends, and our community including PBMS.
By P.
