From bored to busy- 5 ways to have fun while under quarantine!

1. Have fun with your family

Yes, I know this one can be difficult, especially if your family is hard to cope with. But especially when your family is hard to cope with, you should remember that a lot of the best memories are made with the people who know and love you the most. You don't want to be that family that barely hung out with (or even ignored) each other during quarantine. You'll eventually regret that time that you could have spent getting to know your own family better.  So, instead of reading on your own, ask dad or mom to read aloud. Instead of kicking a ball lousily in your backyard alone, invite your siblings to join in a match. Even if it's as small as making lunch, get everyone involved! You will feel a lot better if you show that you love your family while everyone is glued to one another.

2. Be creative

This one has it all in the name. Be creative! You might want to have an epic obstacle course in the backyard, included with a spider's web made out of string, holding a full cup of water while running around the yard, and a leaning tower of cardboard boxes (we have done that already, and it was a total blast), or maybe you want to paint Easter eggs with a bowl of water and nail polish (also done that, look at page 5 for instructions on painting Easter eggs). Or, it could be as simple as making a meal plan for the week, with each family member getting a day to help the main chef (we are working on that as well) Basically, lesson of the day, be creative! You can even take my idea on the obstacle course :) . However you want to do it, you do it. 

3. Make a schedule

Even if you aren't an organization-freak like me, a way to keep your day in order is definitely a to-do. As simple as making a chart with all your chores, or jotting down the day's plans in your journal. I like to have a printed piece of paper with all my schoolwork (Google calendar is incorporated with Google classroom), and then I try to plan the day ahead of time (the day doesn't usually go as planned, however). I am not trying to get your life in order for you, but I am encouraging a little organization. Take five minutes to simply write down what you want to do today vs. what you need to do today. It might help make your stressful life a little calmer. Or, if you absolutely hate keeping any sort of organization, talk with your parents about their plans for your day. You can ask them about what they want to do, and tell them what you want to do. This way, you can make a schedule in your head for the day's plans. Any way you do it, Make it stress-free and have fun!

4. Reach out to others

What I mean by 'reach out to others' (not the physical, touchy sort) is take some time out of your day to talk to someone you haven't heard from in a while. Maybe by facetime, a phone call, or old fashioned letter! (I can tell you, one of the most thrilling things ever is when you get the mail and see a letter with your name on it! Even better than any email!). Tell someone you miss them and are thinking about them. Because everyone else is in the same situation as you. Bored. Mad at being stuck in the house. Where I live, kids aren't even allowed to go with their parents to the grocery store! We would get fined $1000 and face imprisonment for up to 180 days (our parents, not us kids)! You might be surprised at how people in different states are handling this. Coming from Southern California, I have lots of friends to stay in touch with. As soon as I'm done writing this article, I'm going to write one of them, and see how they are coping. But anyway, reach out to someone you love and miss. They will be grateful beyond your imagination.

5. Make the most of it

Ok, it's true. It's hard to make the most of something so different from your normal life. Maybe you are public-schooled, and are still getting used to being taught by your mother, in her bathrobe. Or maybe you are a total extrovert and so being stuck inside with no one to see your new shoes is just torture. Whatever is going on, we are all facing the same thing. I have been homeschooled my whole life, so I like to joke to my usually-public-schooled neighbors that they now understand how I feel waiting for them to get back from school ;). But, instead of complaining, we have to make this worthwhile. Never in a million years would I dream this kind of thing would happen to us. And yet it did. And it probably won't happen again. So be cheery. Help mom with the dishes. Don't complain when you have to do extra math because you forgot to do it yesterday (I certainly did). Remember that this part of our lives is a time to remember as growing closer to our family and faith, and loving others more than we could even when we were still able to hug them. Because everyone is going to remember this. So make the most of it.