How to keep a sense of normality in this crazy new world

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Now that we're all at home, I'm trying to
A. Work out a routine that will keep us sane
B. Look for things we can do to keep some fun/happiness in our lives

After St Patrick's day, dc have work from school, school suggested stick to their regular class timetable. DH will be working from home and I already do that (self employed) although my work routine will be difficult to maintain with so many people in the house I think.

At the moment I think we're ok to break up the day with a walk as long as we keep our distance from others, but I suspect that will change. We'll have to switch to Yoga with Adrienne at some point!

We have lots of books, Netflix, art supplies, I have stocked up on ingredients for baking, etc

I was thinking of getting the DC to take turns in making dinner, improve their cooking skills and give me a break, although of course I'd supervise.

Movie nights and box sets after dinner.
Board games

Anyone else want to add to the list?
I'm anxious about this new reality, but having a plan makes it easier to deal with I think

Lots of walks, drives out to the country, swimming in the sea on nice days, gardening, cooking, reading, music. Lots of things to do at home.

In Belgium there are calls for 'national letter writing hour' every Sunday (I think), to stay in touch with people. There are also calls for letters to people in nursing/care homes who now can't have visitors and I think that is a lovely idea.
I will be sending out activities to my Brownies so they can keep working on their badges from home.
Helping the vulnerable and those in isolation by offering to get in the shopping/messages etc.
Skyping family and friends all over

My plan is to maintain a routine and a distinction between weekdays/weekends.

I have one dc who will probably follow school routine closely at home, and one who will struggle so I’m taking separate approaches on that. I’m waiting to see what the schools send to us on Wednesday.

Clothes on in the mornings on weekdays! No pjs. I’m going to break up the day into segments with a purpose to each part.

We are lucky in having a decent garden with trampoline, basket ball and space to play. I’m going to get stuck into the garden and growing some fruit and veg so they can help with that too.

I also want to focus on their cooking, cleaning and self-organisation skills just in case.

I’m a bit anti-screen in general so I’m letting them convince me on the educational merits of videos and apps

We have some good books on science and arts projects and I have a couple of ideas I’d like to work on with them.

I’m making them keep a diary too

I’ve always read to them at bedtime, and i recommend it as a way to stretch out a book over several nights and fill half an hour.

I’ve also told the dc to be thinking about projects they’d like to take on, or something they want to learn.

I’m hoping that I can get them to self-manage as much as possible rather than me pushing and pulling them.

Brilliant ideas, thank you! Especially getting dressed in the morning, I think that will be really important.

Any one worried about the huge gap in education, hubby & I will try our best but we're not teachers! Our dc are 7 & 6 so it could be worse, we'll try our best!

Draw up a daily routine- think about how their school day is structured.

Up, dressed, breakfast, teeth. Then "school". If it's Primary, make a timetable e.g.
9-9.30am Maths
Have a daily routine that hits all their major subjects (if they're secondary, they already have a timetable, so they can stick to that themselves.)
Have a break between subjects e.g. stand up and do 15 jumping jacks, do a wall sit challenge (parents included).

There are loads of teachers offering support e.g. on Boards.

Make sure that some of their activity is movement - you could set up an obstacle course around the house (do a bear crawl up the stairs, crawl under a bed, walk down the stairs 2-feet together, stand on one leg for 30 seconds, 10 wall push-ups, hop like a frog around the kitchen table, finish with a big deep breath).

I am concerned today and slightly anxious but trying to keep busy. I will do 'school' in the morning (phonics sight words and reading & luckily have plenty of material at home). Then outside trampoline etc. Lunch. Movie in the afternoon and playtime.
Go for a drive to town and back just to get a change of scene and drive home.

Why not start a gardening project, it'll be science educational, and if you do vegetables or sunflowers or the like, you'll have something to eat afterwards. I don't have a garden so I've taken up windowsill gardening!

We are in quarantine at the moment so can not go out at all but I'm still working so we are trying to keep up a busy routine. We get up at normal time (well a bit later actually as I know don't have the commute) and I prepare for work as usual. My sahp dh gets himself ready for his day at this time as well and then I start work and he entertains our 2 year old dc all day. We were always pretty routine and this is proving to be great now and we basically just try to stay busy. We've done online exercise each day and I'm very thankful for my Apple Watch which is making sure that i keep moving and healthy. We have been eating well - we managed to get a veg box and i make nice pancakes and cakes for our dc once she is asleep. I am learning Slovak and my course is going online this evening so I will find out what it's like to be a student and I had a great lesson with my other teacher for the first time last night. We've ordered plants for our balcony and the dh has made a compost heap out there. So far so good - only another 110 days or so to go!!!

Some great ideas, thanks everyone. We have been taking it easy for the last few days, because of the bank holiday but going to start our new routine tomorrow.

Going to give ourselves a bit of a lie in, but aiming to be up and dressed by 8 and starting work by 9. Break for a walk around the block, or maybe a YouTube yoga with Adrienne at 11. Then lunch at 1.30.

Dd will be getting online work from school so she sticking to the school timetable. DHs Organization are all WFH so he'll be busy until 5. I'm going to try to work when dd is busy.

In the evening we've started a few box sets and I've made a list of diy/craft projects that will keep me going well into the summer, luckily dd likes that kind of thing to so hopefully she'll join in.

Great idea to do more science and gardening projects, I tend to do more crafty things so good to try something new!

My 2 ds are older and have college work and online gaming so they'll be occupied but they'll really miss their friends especially ds2 who is the social butterfly of the family and has a huge circle of friends. They can chat online and plays online games together but it's not really the same.

It will be a challenge to stay positive as time goes on, but we'll get through it.

Please keep checking in and we can help each other when we run out of ideas 😊

Am doing "school" after lunch here. Mornings we get up, dressed and I either take then to work (self employed and everyone else WFH) and they are learning life skills like using the scanner! Then a walk somewhere remote, lunch, school work and music practice. Then TG4 cartoons for Irish language practice.
DD has been baking which is good for her but not my waist line.

I just saw this article with some good links, educational games, fitness, etc

www.thejournal.ie/keep-children-entertained-during-social-distancing-coronavirus-5047555-Mar2020/

You can borrow from libraries online

Oliver Jeffers is live streaming reading a book a day

I'm behind schedule already 😩 found it hard to sleep last night. Better get on track now. I hope everyone has a good day!

Thanks for the library link.