Your routine is completely thrown out of whack. And it’s not just you. It’s your work, your friends, your coffee run. But most importantly, your family. With school and daycare on hiatus, the global Coronavirus pandemic is evolving every day and forcing your family to face a new normal. Now is the time to plan ahead so you can soften the landing and keep them from seeing it as an early summer vacation. Here are a few ways you can keep your routine as close as possible to support total wellness during this time.
Learn About Your Children’s School Routine
It’s an easy thing to forget, but your kids have maintained a consistent schedule all year and are used to certain events happening throughout the day. Don’t know what it is? Ask them. For younger children that means snack time, lunch time, recess, etc. For older kids, classes in the morning and afternoon, lunch time, study groups, athletics and special interest groups. Take the time to ask what their typical routine is and build a schedule around that. If recess is at 11:30, conduct a family workout at 11:30. If lunchtime was at 12:30, guess what it is now?
Parents who are working from home will have a lot of their own stresses getting their work done, but if your kids are on a predictable schedule, you can navigate meetings and projects more easily.
Create a Plan With Your Spouse
Speaking of working parents. Depending on the age of your children, supervision will be required throughout the day. No easy task considering one or both of you may be working from home. Take the time to communicate with each other every night and take a mental check. What are the pain points? What important projects or meetings are coming up in the next week? Your schedules might butt up against each other, or you might find gaps where each person can alternate availability. Fear of the unknown can be a major source of anxiety during this time, so talking to each other each night can help resolve that.
Plan Your Meals Ahead
When schedules are scattered, planning ahead really matters. The FASTer Way community has Weekly Meal Plans readily available, but it’s a good idea to get a head start. Get your family together in an assembly line with fruits, vegetables, protein and nutrients to create storable meals that are easy to grab throughout the week. Don’t have the exact ingredients? Be adaptable! Look for alternative foods that can substitute. This allows you to be nimble and agile if plans change so you’ll have healthy options in a pinch.
Work Out Together
School-aged kids have been in a routine all year so trying to maintain that structure is the best way to keep life as normal as possible and stay on track for your health and wellness goals. In fact, this is a great time to get your family involved so you can exercise and eat better together. Ask what time your kids usually exercise (recess, sports practices, etc.) and schedule your workouts around that. Even if you can’t join them, the FASTer Way Community has tons of plans, videos and other content to follow.
Reading Time
Younger children out of school are missing important developmental time learning about math, science, reading and writing. Reading can help fill that void. A 2019 study by Ohio State University showed there is about a million-word gap between young children whose parents read them five books a day before kindergarten than kids who were never read to. That difference continues even through elementary school, increasing vocabulary and communication skills.
Quiet Time
Better known as sacred me-time. Younger children will need naps naturally, but it’s also important to establish quiet time for older kids, too. That could be by assigning chores and yardwork, dedicating TV and video game hours or simply assigning simple homework assignments while school is out. Quiet time lets the whole house recharge and get important tasks done before they pile up.
Turn It Into a Positive
This is a big one. Your kids will respond how you respond, so it’s important to be calm, organized and see the pros of having everyone together. This is crucial developmental time as they see how leaders and loved ones respond to a difficult situation and help those in need. Be careful not to complain about your personal situation and take stress out on them. Take time to count your blessings and focus on the things you DO have. These are lessons they will carry for a lifetime and will impact the way they handle relationships in the future.
Remember, the FASTer Way is all about total wellness. This is a crazy time for everyone and we encourage everyone to stay safe, healthy and happy. Our online community is here to provide you support and help you crush your fitness goals together.
FREE SCHEDULE BELOW!
Schedule Ideas
Here are some quick ways to keep your kids busy and learning during the downtime.
· One Daily Chore
· Learn Dancing Routines Online
· Take Online Educational Tours
· TV or Recreational Time
· Stage a Play
· Educational Assignments from School or Online
· Lunch
· 30-Minute Reading Time
· Book Reports
· 1 Hour Recess
· Arts and Crafts Projects
· Writing Assignments
Download our Daily Checklist!
We are giving you a great checklist to use with additional space to create your own schedule!
