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Parents + Coronavirus = What Now?

By March 27, 2020March 11th, 2024Insurance

Ideas on how to entertain your kids at home

Blog Post - Parents + Coronavirus = What Now? Text Over Top of Paper Cutouts of People and Houses on a Wooden Table

For the last few weeks, COVID-19 has really started to make waves in the PNW. Many of us have had our schedules all discombobulated both at work and home. Even going to the grocery store is a bigger chore than usual right now. As we say, we are stronger together—metaphorically speaking at the moment—so as we learn to adapt, a key to our success is turning to our support systems.

Asking others for advice, help, and ideas can help with stress, anxiety, and boredom. Social distancing during this Coronavirus outbreak can be a little bit of a challenge, but you always have the internet and virtual communication! With the right perseverance and knowledge at our fingertips, we can make the best of these moments.

Our team here at Mosaic Insurance has connected with a lot of you about different concerns regarding your home insurance and business insurance needs after the impact of COVID-19. Working remotely via phone and email, our daily goal is to do the best we can to help you get the coverage that you and your family need during this epidemic. Outside of insurance, we wanted to share some tips to survive the lockdown. After all, many of you are parents, like many of our teammates are, so who best to ask than the moms and dads from our office who are working from home with their children?

We know the struggle is real. If you are a parent and are at your wits end right now, how can you make this process with your children easier on all involved? What can you do with all those hours cooped up at home while they are out of school?

1. Play active indoor games

  • Hide-and-seek
  • Simon says
  • Ring-around-the-rosie
  • Freeze dancing
  • Treasure hunt
  • Beanbag toss
  • Twister
  • Obstacle maze
  • Plastic cup bowling
  • WhatMomsLove.com has 87 ideas here!

2. If you can work from home, develop a schedule that is easy to follow

  • Let your kids know the time range you are working, as well as when you will have breaks. Whiteboards and clocks on office doors can really help with this.
  • When on your breaks, let them release some energy out in the yard.
  • Do activities with them whenever you can so that they can release energy and not get bored during other parts of the day. Cook together, watch movies, play a board game, go on a walk, etc.
  • See if there are any age-appropriate hobbies that they would like to try. Having as many as possible for them to easily transition to at their leisure will help occupy them. Also, aim for ones that you don’t have to oversee them on, such as a videogames, beads, slime kits, coloring books, etc.
  • Have a single workspace that is designated as yours during your work hours. If possible, try to get a room all to yourself. This will help you plant roots to become more stable so you can focus. It will also limit distractions.
  • Tell your kids how they are doing during the day and make brief conversation so they do not feel ignored. Complement them on good behavior, and call out any bad behavior.
  • Give your kids rewards for good behavior to help encourage them to act that way in the future.

3. Teach them important life skills that they might not learn in school

  • Cooking. Home ec is not in a lot of schools these days, and knowing how to cook is a great skill to have. You can make it fun too, like asking them to cook dinner with only 4 ingredients, having them prepare a meal only with a list of ingredients you give them, giving a daily theme like recipes from certain cultures/countries, etc.
  • Sewing repairs. While sewing is a hobby for some, parts of it can be very useful for practically everyone. Even if your kid is not interested in learning a craft like sewing for fun, they can still benefit from knowing how to repair clothing. For example, you could teach them how to reattach a button on a shirt, hem a pair of pants that are too long, or stitch a ripped seem in a jacket.
  • Cleaning. With spring cleaning in the midst, and extra time at home, now is the perfect time to teach your kids of all ages how to organize and keep the house safe. You could teach them anything from organizing their toys in their rooms, to keeping things out of the walkway in other areas of the house. (No one wants to step on Legos!) Check out our spring cleaning checklist, which includes tips like how to disinfect sponges and clean different coffee machines. You can also check out our home maintenance infographic for other ideas on what to clean in your home.
  • Car repairs. To get out of the house a little bit, spend some time in your driveway teaching your teenager how to do tasks that they will need to do often. Our blog post about car maintenance has tips on how to do things that you can do with your kids, such as:
    • Navigate the car manual
    • Check fluids—oil, antifreeze, transmission fluid, windshield wiper fluid, etc.
    • Change the windshield wiper blades
    • Change a tire
    • Fill a tire
    • Change the oil
    • Change the spark plugs
    • Jump start and change a battery
  • Taxes. Is your teen going to have a summer job soon? Or is it likely to happen in the next few years? Teaching them how to file taxes can make the process a lot easier on them when the time comes. If you have not filed yours yet, having them watch you firsthand can be very helpful.
  • Car insurance. Do you have a teen driver? Driver’s ed does not tend to talk about what it really means to have certain types of auto coverage. Sitting down with your student driver and really getting down to the details on what a premium is, how deductibles work, and what it means to have full coverage vs. liability, can help them understand what is covered and not covered under their car insurance policy. It will also prepare them for what to do if they are ever in a car accident. Check out our accident checklist for more information on what to do after a auto accident!
  • Medical insurance. What is a copay? How do you find out if your insurance will cover certain treatments, medications, or operations? How do you find a doctor that will take your insurance? What is the difference between medical, dental, and vision? How much will be taken out of your paycheck through your work’s health plan? There is so much to learn here that will be helpful for years to come.

Did you find this article useful? Share with your friends on social media! We would love to hear about any additional ways you are entertaining your kids and staying hopeful for the future. Comment on our FacebookInstagram, or Twitter. You can also contact our Marketing Manager, Meagan, directly at Meagan@mosaicia.com or 425-247-0208 .

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