If there was ever a time in my life to be forced to stay at home, this was the perfect time for me. Just bought a house and moved in on the 8th. Extra time to set up my shop in the garage, build my garden in the backyard, and get everything put away. I'm certainly not hurting for things to do at the moment.
The positive with my kids (9,7,4) and I is the fact that it forced me to sit down and plan out a schedule for them so they wouldn't get too bored with all of the down time. I was able to think about what life skills I want them to learn, and made a list each day of the things we're going to do together so they learn it for themselves. Nothing sexy about it - Learning how to iron, do laundry, fold/put their clothes away, plant seeds, design our garden, assemble soccer nets, plan and make a meal together, etc. Our normal schedule doesn't allow for this kind of free time to teach these things, so in a way it's a blessing.
And, sprinkled in-between home schooling and the tasks laid out above, plenty of free time in the yard. Slip and slide, swing-set time, fishing, play with the hose and mud and get dirty, and of course S'mores in the backyard fire pit. Sometimes, simple things are the best.
Above all, it's a good opportunity to teach them about adaptability and resilience. Thanks for starting the thread, stay positive my friends!
