Turning COVID-19 into teachable moments for our families

Schools are closed. Restaurants, bars, gyms, salons are closed. Sporting events, concerts, conferences, and community events are canceled. Lockdowns and sheltering in place are taking place locally and around the world to slow the spread of COVID-19. This is an unprecedented and unbelievable time, as we all hunker down together in the face of a global health crisis.

Life has been upended. For some, making the necessary logistical adjustments has caused an additional layer of anxiety, whether trying to set up a homeschool or adapt to working remotely. The silver lining in this is the opportunity for many of us to pause, reflect, and spend time with our families.

Sheltering in place does not mean living sheltered. For me personally, I have not even tried to “make everything perfect” for my 2 boys. They have a rough schedule in place, but I am definitely not going to win best homeschool mom, ever. The house is messy. The boys are eating too many snacks, sleeping in and staying up too late. But I’m also being very real with them, and letting them in on the extraordinary conditions around the world, how it impacts us and those around us, and what we can and need to do for ourselves and our community to get through this. Instead of focusing on fear and unknowns, we can focus on and account for our own actions.

My thoughts on being thrust into homeschooling? Make it about more than academics. This is a historic time that we can incorporate into teachable moments and lasting lessons. We don’t have to scare the heck out of our kids, but we don’t need to shelter them either. Here are a few ways to do that:

1. Make a family vision boardIf you’ve never made a vision board, have no fear. There is no one way or right way to do this! Before you dig in, have a conversation about the purpose and importance of vision and goal setting. Share ideas of goals, which could include places to visit, things to do, areas of personal or academic and athletic achievement. Or, take a gratitude-centered approach to your board.

You probably have all of the supplies you need at home already. Use what you have and be creative! If you need more help or inspiration, check out blogs like this one.

2. Have a family meetingTalk with your family about the reality of the current situation, keeping in mind the age and maturity level of your children. How can you help others or spread some cheer? Are there family members or friends who you can check-in on? You might not be able to physically visit, but you can call, face-time, or video conference with apps like Zoom. Do you know doctors, nurses, health care workers, teachers, truck drivers, or other helpers you can thank? Consider sending hand-written thank you notes or even some artwork.

If you are fortunate to have continued income right now, consider talking to your children and brainstorming about how you can use resources to help others. Consider your friends, family, neighbors, and those you do business with on a regular basis. Can you purchase gift cards online to support your salon or favorite local restaurant? Can you pay a service professional like a house cleaner or massage therapist for at least one service while they are not working?

If you don’t have income right now, consider the ages of your children and how to frame the conversation. You want to let them know your situation is changing and will eventually get better, but it’s going to look different for a while. Share ideas about how everyone can help and do their part.

3. Start a dinner table foundationIf you’ve already had a family meeting and want to do more, consider establishing an informal family foundation, or “dinner table foundation.”

Explain to your children that you are setting aside funds from which you will make charitable gifts as a family. Let them have a literal seat at the table and ask them to consider what organizations might need financial support right now. Let everyone make recommendations and discuss them together.

If your family has already established a Donor Advised Fund, even better! You already have the funds set aside, now open up the conversation to your family about who might benefit from a gift right now.

Bonus idea: keep the foundation going throughout the year by raising money together, matching gifts, and meeting at designated times throughout the year (e.g., each quarter, at certain holidays, etc.)

4. JournalingWe are in the midst of an historical event. Encourage your children to journal about their experience. How are they feeling? What have the observed? How are they spending their time at home?

5. College prepTake the journaling a step further and start thinking about college essay prompts.

The lessons learned in this crisis will be tied to a future success, and this very phenomenon is a common essay topic. Common app is a great tool to start brainstorming.

Along with essay preparation, you can use this time to round out your college search by conducting virtual tours. Or, research careers, salaries, and job descriptions.

Learn more about the college search process in this podcast episode with nationally recognized college expert Lynn O’Shaughnessy.

We can all learn, grow and improve from what we are currently experiencing. Let’s take care of ourselves, and those around us.

How are you handling life in quarantine? We’d love to hear from you.