Quarantine 101: Tips for Working & Living with Your Family During Isolation

by Mrs. Judy Clay

If six months ago someone had told you what the state of the country and the world would be today, you probably would not have believed it.  Yet here we are. Quarantining, sheltering in place, social distancing, call it what you like. It all means that we are spending more time with our families than ever before.  We are working from home while supervising and assisting our kids with school. We are conference calling while trying to care for our young children. Phew, it’s a lot! If all this family togetherness seems trying at times, perhaps you will find one or two of the suggestions below helpful.  We have scoured the internet and collected what we believe to be some of the most helpful advice experts can offer. 

• Be kind to yourself and each other.  Perfection in this process is not the goal. Just do your best.

• Set daily/weekly priorities.  Create a list for each of the following: Must do,  To do, and Hope to do.

• Start your morning without screen time.  Go for a walk, read, meditate or pray. Enjoy your morning coffee or tea in peace.

• Create a routine schedule for your family and post it where everyone can see it. Be sure to refer to it throughout the day.  Include your work commitments and your children’s school commitments. For younger children, use pictures to help them distinguish the different activities and make use of a timer.  Try to be consistent with waking and bedtimes as well as meal times. Routine and structure can be helpful for the whole family. Try to schedule work times in chunks appropriate for the age of your child(ren).  Incorporate digital time with family members and friends. For example, have a story time or dance party with Grandma or have a friend join your child for lunch. Zoom, Facebook, Facetime and Google Duo are all great options for connecting. Also be sure to include breaks for you and your child.  WideOpenSchool.org offers a wealth of resources for various activities and hosted live events. 

• Start each day with your family by reviewing that day’s schedule.  The schedule may change slightly each day but try to be as consistent as possible. Set clear expectations for responsibilities for each family member and expect each family member to be helpful in some way. 

• Include some fun family activities throughout the week.  Let your child help plan these activities. This is especially important for the weekends since all of our days seem to be running together. 

• Create a workspace for each family member.  Provide a space for you to work and for your children to have school.  For the specifics of creating a good remote learning environment for your child, please refer to the Holy Child Academy Distance Learning Guide.

• Have some go to quiet activities set aside for your child to keep their attention.  These can be a life saver when that conference call runs too long.

• If you have younger children, those hours when they are sleeping can be precious work time.  Make use of quiet in the morning before they wake, in the evening after they go to bed and if you are lucky, in the afternoon while they nap.  If you do this, try to give yourself some breaks during the day so you don’t feel like you are working 24/7.

• If you have a partner working from home as well, coordinate your work days when possible.  Review your schedules and tag team for conference calls or take shifts helping the children with school. Also, consider giving each other a kid free night once a week so you can each have some time to yourself.