Life in the Age of Social Distancing

So... have you heard about Covid-19?  At this point, if you haven't, stop right now and hit the internet.  Read about it.  I'll wait...

Ok.  Now that we are on the same page and you know that you should be self isolating yourself and your family, and that you should only be venturing out to the store when you absolutely have to, what are we to do?  I'm probably not far off when I say that most of our lives have become pretty hectic.  From jobs, which sometimes don't end at exactly 5pm, to running kids to sports, clubs and music lessons, life seems to fly by.  But now..., not so much.  We've been told to stay home.  Stay at least 6 feet away from people when in public.  Don't touch your face. (Did you just touch your face?) Hard to do that one. In the words of John Lennon,

"Nobody told me there'd be days like these,
Strange Days indeed."

I grew up in the 1970s and 1980s.  I am a child of that time.  Strangely, it seems to have set me up for coping with life in 2020!  When the Provincial Government here where I live closed schools and eventually declared a Province wide State of Emergency, for a split second I thought, "What am I going to do?"  Then I remembered... I can call upon my childhood and teen years to get through this.  So in this first full length blog of the 'new normal', I present to you a Top Ten list of things to do while you are isolated at home.

Keep in mind, these are things that are working and have worked at my house.  You can try them and see what does it for your family.  Feel free to use these activities or change them to suit your individual situation -- We are all in this together apart.

10.  Watch Movies and TV and Documentaries
We've all pretty much figured this one out.  Find that old movie you loved and watch it with your kids. Explore a genre that you haven't before. Have fun.  Do a 'Director's Commentary' with your family.

9.  Read
If you have books at your house, read them!  Read to yourself, your spouse, your kids! We have books in our house from almost every genre, ranging from lighter novels for entertainment to heavier stuff, like Shakespeare and Chaucer.  Grab that book that you've been meaning to read and read it!  If you don't have books, there are lots of online sources that you can access, many for free, and choose something you think you'll like.

8.  Board Games
Trouble. Battleship. Trivial Pursuit. Sorry, Twister. One of my fondest memories of growing up was one night my cousins and I got together and played an epic game of Monopoly.  It went on for hours.  I'm not even sure if we played to a winner or if we just agreed to stop.  Either way, it was a fun night.  Expose your kids to your favourite game. If you are excited about it, they will be to... eventually.

7.  Start a New Hobby
What interests you?  Is it art? Writing? Embroidery?  There are tons of resources online to help you get started.  One of my daughters has taken up book binding!  She's apparently social distanced herself back to the 16th Century!

6. Spring Cleaning
Not the most exciting of activities, I know, but what else do you have to do?

5. 80s Video Throwback Night
Head to Youtube and search up your favourites from your youth.  It's fun to walk down memory lane and your kids will have a great time rolling their eyes at the antics of 1980's video stars.

4. Deep Dive into an Album or Artist
Do you remember when you bought an actual physical album from your favourite record store and sat and listened to it the whole way through?  Why not do it again?  It's amazing how many memories it stirs and how well you will remember those lyrics. Check out their other offerings.  You might be surprised.

3. Join a Discussion Group (or Start One)
Find a group of people to discuss subjects you are interested in.  Facebook is great for this.  Most group administrators are awesome at keeping the discussion civil and eliminating the clutter of the world for a while.

2. Explore Your Family Tree
This is sometimes a sticky one.  No one wants to learn that their ancestors were run out of Scotland for being sheep thieves (or wherever for whatever). It can be an interesting exercise to see where your family came from and why.  Resources abound. Be warned!  It can be addictive!

1.  Enjoy Your Family
As I started out with, life is busy.  Take this time to really enjoy your time with your family.  They are interesting. I promise. Have discussions, look at photos, tell stories. Video chat with family who are at a distance.

Hopefully these suggestions may help you during this crazy time.  Stay Healthy. Stay Safe!