During the “Blizzard of ’78′” I was a high schooler who had never been house-bound for more than a couple of days at a time. Maybe a few days for illness or a couple of snow days back-to-back, but never more than that. But during that blizzard, we were out of school and out of society for two weeks, with impassable roads, limited businesses that were open (if we could walk to them), and NO Internet! SPOILER ALERT – we made it. We didn’t go crazy, we didn’t starve, and we even learned a few things.
The prospect of having your children home for (at least) two weeks straight may be worrisome at best, and alarming at worst. You may be imagining arguments, messes, whining, and generally, lots of stress.
Following are some ideas to make this time happier for all.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice. Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God that transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4-6
- Rejoice always! Paul says this twice, therefore the must know that it is possible. It may seem hard to rejoice when you are worried about potentially losing income, your child potentially losing learning time, or potentially having your health compromised. Remember, however, that God understands your worry and only his peace will alleviate it. If you are at peace in your heart about being housebound and limited, your children will be as well. Throw on some music, have a dance party, sing karaoke – do whatever lifts the mood in your house to joyful. Turn off the news and turn to fun and laughter. You may need to do this redirection several times a day, but it will be worth it to show your family that standing in God’s protection and peace always brings us joy!
- Prayer and Petition. Our prayers to God are like golden bowls full of incense (Revelation 5:8). He loves to hear them, especially when they come up with thankful and childlike hearts. Plan a special time to pray with your children every day. Pray for your own needs, but also the needs of others in your family, those in the church, and friends at school, in the neighborhood and around the world. Our simple outward focus on the needs of others will ease our own fears and anxieties. Ultimately, though, it shows our children who we rely on during the storms of our lives. Their peace depends on ours.
- Thanksgiving. I get it – it is hard to be thankful when circumstances are changing hour by hour. Uncertainty can move in and take up residence. Consider this – how much uninterrupted time to you really have with your children and family in any given week? How much do you really get to dig into your Bible or pray for an extended period. How much time do you have to tackle that ‘to do list’? For most of us, quality time for anything is fleeting. Are you thankful that your activities are limited, and really using your time to its fullest potential? How are you showing your gratitude t God for his gift of extra time? Read your Bible and pray more. Play with your kids. Cook, bake, try a new recipe. Call friends to encourage and pray with them. Write some notes or letters. When God gives us these respite times, we need to show our gratitude to Him by using them wisely, making the most of every opportunity(Colossians 4:5b).
- Allow the peace to settle in. Slow down in your speech and your actions. (You’d be surprised at the effect this will have on your children!) If things get loud or tensions rise, speak slowly and calmly. Lower your voice level to a whisper. Let the feeling of peace fall like a blanket on the house and be covered and comforted by it.
Here are some practicals to help you during this time.
Finally, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.
Philippians 4:8
- Keep going back to God. Have quiet times or short devotionals daily with your children (after you have your own, of course!). Memorize some scriptures together, or act our Bible stories with costumes and props! Make a prayer list people and things to pray for, and mark off prayers that are answered. God is your anchor, so be sure that he is holding all of you steady!
- Keep a schedule. School will be back in session at some point, and getting children (and ourselves) back on a schedule after not having one can be difficult, to say the least. Maintain regular wake-ups and bedtimes. Keep media times (gaming, TV shows, movies) to a reasonable level. If you increase these more than minimally, your children may expect them to continue when they go back to school. You may consider ‘daily school’. My daughter made a list with her boys of things they would like to learn while about while they were out of school. The list was awesome – airplanes, plants, science, cooking, etc. She is having ‘school’ each day on their favorite topics. She also found easy projects and experiments online (how about edible ‘slime’ made from Peeps!) to keep things fresh and interesting for the boys. They are having PE days (walking outside) and Art days to create projects. Talk to your kids about what they’d like to learn and then run with it.
- Play dates. If it works to get with other kids, plan small, limited time play dates (outside if possible – less surfaces to touch). If meeting others isn’t an option, how about virtual play dates? Plan 20 minutes with other kids/families to tell jokes, catch up, share projects and artwork, tell stories, etc. These times don’t have to be long, but they will keep all of you feeling connected. Check out ‘What’s App?’, ‘Facetime’, and ‘Zoom’.
- Story hour. Enlist your parents and friends to call and read to your kids. We’ve picked some books to read to our grandkids on the portal. It keeps us and them feeling loved and connected. This idea gives you a bit of a break. Use the apps above to help. Facebook’s portal even has a story app with it. Or check online for story apps that are free.
- Game marathons. Choose some of your favorite games and have marathons. Candy Land and Chutes & Ladders still work for younger kids, while Monopoly, Clue and Risk will challenge your pre-teens and teens. Keep the competition friendly, and don’t forget the snacks!
Now that you’ve gotten your mind in gear, plan out some other activities and ideas that will make this time with your family memorable and joyful.
It can be so easy to give in to fear or just ‘get through’ this time. By walking with God, everyone can be happy and at peace, relationships can be stronger, and memories can be made during this time! Stay strong in the faith!