Many moms find themselves with kids at home all day. Some moms are accustomed to this and do this daily, but for others this is foreign terrain. Let a seasoned mom and teacher help you out. You may discover some resources to help even the most prepared mom.

It’s Okay

Yep, take a deep breath. Whether you’ve done this day in and day out for years or it’s like summer’s been thrust on you without the sunny and warm days, we’ll get through this. That’s what moms do. We may have a melt down moment, but we gather our wits and do what it takes to get through. This is no different. Think of what you do in the summer. Need some helpful hints? Here’s some ideas I posted back in 2016.

Two kinds of people

Realize that there are two kinds of people out there–introverts and extroverts. Introverts will take a quarantine situation better than extroverts, but they’re going to need some help as well. Introverts are going to need their time. They’re the type who need space to themselves, quiet and relaxed. With the influx of people at home, they’ll need that time even more so. Extroverts on the other hand are going to be driven crazy because they can’t go and do things! As mom you’ll need to help both of these.

To make things even more difficult, there are two kinds of moms–extroverts and introverts! Yep, you have to figure out which one you are and give yourself some care as well.

Have some Music

Music can set the tone for your day. What are you listening to? I know my kids’ moods based on what music is blaring at the time. Author Annie Douglass Lima polled her personal facebook friends for encouraging songs during dark times. She then put the suggestions together in a youtube playlist. Check it out.

Another friend shared this song by Josh Baldwin, and it led to a wonderful youtube selection of hope-filled songs.

Educational Resources

There are many resources out there, and right now, many companies are offering things free of service.

• Harper-Collins has a list of resources available.
• NASA has offered some STEM activities for kids. The list includes coloring sheets, activities, games, building projects, and overall fun.
• Kids Activity Blog has a list of all the places offering free subscriptions during this time.
• Remember, it’s not only the kids who need educational opportunities. Here’s a list of universities offering free online classes. This could be good for high school students as well as moms.
• Adobe is also giving free subscriptions to their cloud-based resources such as photoshop and illustrator. There are a ton of online tutorials that can keep kids busy as well. They may need a school email to sign up, but I’m not positive, since I didn’t check it out personally.

Virtual Field Trips

Since all field trips have been cancelled, here are some you can take while online.

• Jelly Belly factory has a a short virtual tour. I think it used to be more, but I couldn’t find it. The about the company is part of the tour when you go visit live.
• The Palace of Versailles has a virtual tour featured in Vogue.
• Paris museums have offered thousands of digital high-resolution images of their artwork.
• If you’re stuck in snow and need some hope for spring, Holland’s tulip fields are in bloom and shared on My Modern Met.

The Arts

I’ve seen some posts from friends who have shared they’re helping their kids with some fun alternatives during this stay-at-home time. One is using Duolingo to learn Japanese with her kids. She posted a win that one boy yelled at his brother in Japanese! Another friend was trying to help her daughter learn how to calligraphy.

Drawing options

Mo Willems is teaching kids via youtube each afternoon. Parents then post their kids’ drawings and tag him in the posts! There are some pretty talented kids out there.

This google doc has an amazing list of museums, contests, games, and art you can do at home. There are multiple links to check out.

I know growing up, I loved dogs and trying to draw them. I had a pretty good Snoopy dog I could draw. Here’s a lesson on drawing dogs using simple shapes.

You can also check out the tutorial I did showing you how I transfer images and then kids can ‘color’ them in using pencils.

Theater Options

As you may have seen, my family loves the theater. My youngest is planning on majoring in theater arts when he graduates this year from high school. (Yes, he will graduate, we just don’t know details at this time. Sorry, class of 2020.) We’ve enjoyed Broadway’s The Lion King when it came to Oregon, as well as many Shakespeare plays at the Ashland Shakespeare Festival. So, these options are intriguing.

BroadwayHD offers plays for a monthly premium, but they’re allowing for a seven-day free trial. You can find out details on Unilad. Playbill has another list of 15 Broadway plays you can check out available on everything from youtube to amazon prime.

Reading and Listening

Reading is always a good option. I’ve given several lists of good books for all ages in my last post. Author H. L. Burke is still hosting a facebook event of free books and has expanded to include free coloring sheets. Like Anne Stokes’ dragon one. I’ve started it on my ibisPaint X app.

You can also have astronauts read to your kids via youtube. Another mom I know suggested videoing you reading your books to your kids and then exchanging with other moms so your kids get different books. We had a friend record herself reading my son’s favorite books and even added in “ding-ding turn the page”. It allowed him to hear her voice and read-along even though he was only four.

Growing up, we’d come inside early on Saturday nights to listen to Unshackled, a radio drama from Chicago Union Mission, followed by Children’s Bible Hour. It was fun when my kids were little to share with them radio shows on Saturday mornings. Besides Children’s Bible Hour’s Down Gilead Lane, they loved Adventures in Odyssey. During this time, Focus on the Family is offering a four-week free trial of Adventures in Odyssey.

Final Thoughts

Stay sane, keep your cool, and relax. This too shall pass, even if it drags longer than expected. The saying, “If mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy,” holds true. Your perspective will make a difference in your home-life. If you need one more resource, here’s one that’s a pinterest board with recipes, activities, and other helpful ideas to help you keep your sanity.

Do you have other ideas or resources? Feel free to add them to the comments.