Parenting in the Chaos

There’s nothing quite like being stuck at home to test certain aspects of your character. Whether we’re at home due to a pandemic, an illness, a new baby, or choosing to be there, feeling cooped up can test our patience, resilience, and positivity. That’s where this Happy at Home Challenge comes in.Even under difficult circumstances, we can determine our own happiness. Happiness is an attitude, a choice.

It’s obviously easy to choose when life is roses! But when life is more challenging, that’s when it’s even more important to take responsibility for our own happiness and do what we can to improve it. 

The research is clear. There are things that we can do that increase our happiness.

So will you join me in this Happy at Home Challenge? Try it for just two weeks and see if it makes a difference for you. 

Gratitude.

Gratitude is consistently shown to correlate to higher levels of happiness. Simply writing out 3 things each day you’re thankful for will dramatically increase your satisfaction with your life. 

For many years, I had my kids write out 5 things they were thankful for to start out their homeschool day. And when the pandemic lockdown hit last March, it’s a practise we started again right away. It was so good for all of us.

The challenge? Jot down 3 things you’re thankful for each day. Write each one on a Post-it note and stick those around the house in places you’ll see them to get even more reminders of your blessings. 

Kindness.

Serving others provides us with connection to community and triggers feelings of pleasure in our brains. In other words, helping others also helps us. It feels good.

I also find for myself personally that helping others gives me better perspective on my own circumstances as it brings a greater awareness of the needs and pain of others which leads to me realizing that I have much to be thankful for.

This Family Kindness Calendar is full of lovely ideas for ways to help others. The kindness suggestions included can be done by school-age children or younger children with the help of an adult. They’re great for getting the whole family working on a common project.

The challenge? Do one small thing for someone else each day. It can be a kind word, an act of service, or even writing a little note on a Post-it and sticking it on their door. If you’re having a hard time thinking of ideas that are safe given the pandemic restrictions, we have a list of ways you can spread kindness without spreading the virus.

Get outside.

Yes, we’re talking about when you’re stuck at home, but the research is clear. Going on a nature walk, spending time in a forest, or even just getting fresh air improve mood and decrease cortisol, the stress hormone. So even if you’re not able to go far, get outside.

The challenge? Get some fresh air every day. If possible, add some movement like going for a walk to get those endorphins going. 

Move more.

Speaking of endorphins…

Endorphins are one of the brain chemicals which are known as neurotransmitters and endorphins trigger positive feelings in your body. They are the “feel-good” chemical and you can release them naturally through exercise.

The challenge? Move more every day. Choose whatever you want and are capable of. Run up and down the stairs, do a YouTube workout, do an exercise video, yoga, or have a dance party with your kids in the kitchen.

Write down your feelings.

Writing out your feelings helps clarify your thoughts, relieve stress, help you identify specific emotions and get at their root causes, and more efficiently solve problems. 

Of course, as adults, most of us can identify our feelings, but kids may not be able to easily identify their emotions or the emotions of others. That’s one of the reasons it’s so important to give your kids an emotional vocabulary. 

The Teaching Emotions Toolkit helps parents or teachers provide kids with a rich emotional vocabulary and better understanding of their feelings.

The challenge? Start a journal to track your emotions.

Today is Day 9 in the 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways and I wanted to include some things that could contribute towards you feeling more Happy at Home. Today’s winner will receive the Family Kindness Calendar (PDF) and the Teaching Emotions Toolkit. a Rafflecopter giveaway

The world has changed so much over the past few weeks. As this virus spreads, so do fear and uncertainty. Here are some ideas to help you spread kindness to others. Hard times are a wonderful opportunity to allow the best of humanity to shine. Communities are reacting in an attempt to protect their members. Yesterday, our community announced the closure of all schools, community centers, libraries, and large gatherings including church services. It’s a lot to take in.

There is a lot of panic and fear which is understandable. There have been reports of that fear causing toilet paper shortages, bare shelves as people hoard and stockpile, and even some of the worst of humanity emerging like the man buying out all the children’s thermometers in a city to take advantage of parents’ fears and sell them at exorbitant prices.

But there is also the opportunity during something like this for us to model for our kids how to serve others. I have seen beautiful stories. I have heard so many people offering help to others.

I hope that when we look back at these surreal times, we are able to remember the way the world came together to help and neighbours bonded as they cared for each other’s needs.

Ways to Spread Kindness:

• Make individually portioned freezer meals for seniors or those who are immunocompromised and shouldn’t go out. Soups, stews, and casseroles are all great ideas. *Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly before cooking and don’t cook for others if you believe you may have been exposed to the virus.
• Deliver groceries, medicine, and other necessities to seniors. Leave items on doorsteps for safety.
• Call those you know who are in isolation just to say hello and encourage them. Remember those who are extraverts or prone to depression as this time may be particularly hard on them.
• Shovel a neighbour’s driveway or mow their lawn.
• Offer child care for essential workers such as nurses, doctors, police officers, firefighters or single parents.
• Share or trade puzzles, board games, or books with another family. (be sure to wipe down anything before it comes into your house)
• Host virtual playdates and activities over Skype or other online platforms. You can do a simple activity together using common household items that everyone has on hand. This helps with boredom and isolation.
• Deliver pet food or offer dog walking to those on isolation with pets.
• Donate to the local food bank.
• Listen.
• Join an online community support group (there are many local ones on Facebook) to find the needs in your area.
• Be kind.

You can print off your own copy of the Ways to Spread Kindness poster to help remind you and your kids of ways to make the best of this time.

You may also be interested in reading:

How to Talk to Kids About the Pandemic

Your Complete Guide to School at Home

Easy Indoor Sensory Activities at Home

School at Home Sample Schedules