Using time of isolation to bond with family and strengthen relationships
The COVID-19 crisis has, quite literally, brought the world to a stand-still. As public health authorities attempt to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, stay-at-home mandates and social distancing guidelines have changed every facet of daily life in ways that would have seemed unimaginable just six months ago.
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by anxiety, fear, and sadness during this difficult time. Surrounded by a constant flow of negative headlines in the news and across social media, staying positive amidst our fear about staying healthy and making ends meet can feel impossible. The stress of those worries, coupled with feelings of grief for the activities and events we are missing, can make just getting through the day feel like an insurmountable challenge.
And yet, this current crisis presents families with a unique opportunity: to slow down, spend quality time together, and strengthen family bonds. Going from a schedule jam-packed with practices, games, performances, and playdates to a seemingly unending day “stuck at home” in fact offers families a precious commodity: time to spend together as a family.
Of course the realities of day-to-day life under stay-at-home mandates are more complex than simply a blank schedule. With parents working from home, essential workers scrambling for daycare, and schools demanding “distance learning” for kids of all ages, the days can seem just as hectic and filled as ever. Yet reminding ourselves to slow down and take advantage of the rare opportunity to be together, at home, will help us create a positive outlook for ourselves and our families and help us reconnect and strengthen those family bonds, now and for the future.
Family Dinners and Game Nights: Suggestions for Family Bonding Activities Perfect for Quarantine
So now that you aren’t rushing home from work, only to rush around to get the kids to their different activities, what can you do to promote togetherness and strengthen your family bonds? We have a few suggestions that may sound corny at first (and are guaranteed to generate a few eye rolls from the teenagers in your family) but in fact are time-proven ways to pass the time together and reengage as a family. Here are a few of our favorites:
Bring back the family dinner
The benefits of a family dinner are well-established. According to the American College of Pediatricians, children who regularly enjoy dinner together with their families are more likely to succeed in school, develop healthy eating habits, experience less emotional stress, and engage less in high-risky behavior such as drug use.
Moreover, sitting together at the dinner table also offers the opportunity for family members to share their thoughts on feelings on a wide variety of issues. Right now, when worry and anxiety about COVID-19 are at their highest, a family dinner is the perfect place to help children and teens process their concerns about current events.
Cook together
If family dinner is the goal, why not get the family engaged in preparing the meal as well?
Bringing the whole family together into the kitchen to prepare a meal can be a fun family activity and a great teaching tool as well. Even young children can get involved by chopping vegetables (under close supervision) or measuring ingredients while teens and young adults can plan and prepare an entire meal for the family.
Remember “Family Game Night”?
Bring out all those old games and puzzles and have some laughs together! Even if you get a bit of resistance at first from the grumpy pre-teens, you will be surprised at how quickly the family comes together over a silly game of Uno.
Read together
Unfortunately, many families stop reading together as soon as children learn to read on their own. But reading aloud to each other is both educational and fun. Choose a short story or a series of novels that is age appropriate for the whole family, and take turns reading a chapter aloud together each night. Your family may even start asking for multiple chapters a night, once they get really engaged with the story!
Get outside
If you can do so safely and within the limits set by the guidelines and mandates of your city, county, and state, spend some time together outside every day. Remembering social distancing rules (meaning stay at least six feet away from non-family members), take a nature walk or even a family bike ride. The exercise will be good for everyone and getting a little sunshine is sure to boost everyone’s spirits.
Connect with distant family
This is a great time to reconnect with distant family members. You may not be able to travel to see them in person, but with the help of Zoom, Skype, Google Hangouts, FaceTime, or any similar app, you can still stay connected! Young kids can practice their writing by composing an email to Grandma, or start a “pen pal” relationship via email with a distant cousin. You could even plan a virtual family reunion!
“Family bonding” can feel like an old-fashioned cliché but that doesn’t make it any less important! Instead of fretting about being “stuck at home”, we hope you will see this unique time as an opportunity to come together and re-discover the joys of being part of a strong and resilient family.
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