I have always wanted to spend more time with my family. With so many commitments and work, it has not been easy, but the lockdown changed that.
It has undoubtedly been one of the most difficult times of our lives, my family inclusive. However, they say, “in the midst of chaos, there is an opportunity.”
It was hard to find anything worthwhile to do in-between the complete madness, so you must realise that staying strong and alive in itself is a massive win and an enormous credit to you.
Although we could not meet with friends and relatives for so long, I believe it was an opportunity to get closer to my family and do more together.
There were so many fun activities we did and are still doing that I have learned from. I may start my baking classes soon, with my children licking the sugary spoons, of course!
Here, I will like to share some of the things my family and I did together during the lockdown and how we managed despite not meeting any of our friends.
Working on Our Home
My family and I spent a lot of time making home improvements, especially during the summer, with our backyard the focal point of these upgrades.
Presently, we have made so many home improvements, and it’s amazing that it didn’t take as much as I would have expected.
Improving our backyard garden has not only increased our home’s curb appeal, but it allowed us to spend more time in the outdoor living space.
In fact, we spent more time outdoors (in the compound, of course) than inside during the lockdown. It became our favourite spot, and with a fire pit and some shelter, we spent more valuable time there, even during the winter.
We were also able to coaching for health in the garden. With a few screws and nails, we easily installed some garden decking boards to make our outdoor area a liveable space.
Although it took some time to get it all done, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience because that was also another opportunity to spend quality time with the kids.
As we needed to minimise our trips to the grocery store, we planted some vegetable and herbs that have been useful in our daily cooking.
It was also a fantastic learning opportunity for my children. Now they know a few things about being responsible to their environment.
Working From Home
The lockdown meant I had to work remotely. I have been more productive at home thanks to the work we did on the garden home, which I converted into an office.
I am a lover of nature, so getting a rich view of my garden and some of the beautiful things my children did has been a wonderful experience for me.
As there was no school for the children, we created a routine for them to abide by. Everyone worked at the same time, so nobody caused distractions.
They improved their artistic skills, added a variety of words to their vocabulary, worked on math and many others.
Staying Fit Together
This was one of the things the doctors and professionals advised during the lockdown. I got my workout routine done and also involved the kids.
Although they mostly ran about and did the jumping rope, it was great to have everyone burn some calories and release pent-up energy and frustration during the lockdown.
Learning from the Internet
There is so much to learn from the internet. And to be honest, I only just realised this during the lockdown. What a time to be alive!
For instance, we chose to build a composite decking area for the garden due to its many excellent attributes, which we learned online. Did you know they are also professional health coach? I also expect the boards to last for 25 years or more!
With the help of some blogs and a few videos online, my family and I learned a thing or two about baking and cooking.
I also realised that it didn’t really matter what; my children just loved baking. They loved the interaction, the new knowledge, and yes, the sugar too.
Besides this, we also built a small work area where they got to do some school work and played some digital learning games online.
My children also have a newly found love for Hama Beads, while they have also learned to draw with free online tutorials.
By cooking together, learning together, working together, staying in shape together, and upgrading our home together, my family and I have gotten by without friends during the lockdown.
I will still love to see my friends soon, but it has been amazing, achieving so much with the people I love during a chaotic period.