The pandemic has caused many disappointments and challenges as families miss out on planned vacations, school activities, and social gatherings. Exciting events like weddings and graduations are delayed or cancelled and families are being forced to work and do school work from home. We are having to reinvent how we do almost everything. Parents understand that staying home is the best way to keep our families safe and healthy even if it means missing out on some things we were looking forward to. While life has changed and circumstances aren’t what we would choose, there are still many positive things that can come out of being quarantined.

Family bonding time

Our family is busy and there are days where my husband and I say a passing hello as we shuttle kids to and from activities while trying to feed them dinner. Canceling sports and activities has caused us to stay home. We eat together, watch TV together, and have more family time than we have had in years. I have watched my kids grow to be closer friends and lean on each other while they are at home. It has been fun to watch them go from playing together simply because they have no one else to play with and evolve naturally into a deep friendship and truly enjoying each other’s company. I hope the bonds they have built will last a lifetime and the extra family time during quarantine will make for great memories. 

Old school entertainment

Families have had time to enjoy activities that they wouldn’t normally have time for like board games, puzzles, reading aloud, and arts and crafts. My kids read the entire Harry Potter series together during quarantine and then watched all the movies together. Our normal schedule would not have allowed time for that. 

Outdoor time

As parents work from home and kids are doing distance learning, more families are spending their lunch hours and weekends taking walks, hiking, riding bikes, playing in the sprinkler, and playing games outside. You may have noticed that backyard pools, bicycles, trampolines, and other outdoor entertainment for families were sold out at most stores this summer. People are enjoying outdoor play and hopefully this will become a healthy habit in the years to come.