You might be like me and have teenage or young adult children, and be wondering what you can do now that school is out (likely for a month, maybe indefinitely), to stay active or keep them occupied while the local authorities, etc make an attempt to curtail the spread of the Corona Virus. If so, then this blog might be for you.
I enlisted my 15-year-old son to assist me in compiling this list, my hope is that you find the activities easy enough, fun enough and applicable enough to help you bond, communicate and create memories that are sure to outlast Covid-19.
My ultimate wish, of course, is that by engaging in these activities, your teens will feel visible, loved, appreciated and engaged by you. They will feel like their lives matter. Like they are giving back, and in turn, find fewer reasons to engage in self-harm, or hurt themselves. Studies like this one or this that cite meaningful adult-teen relationships as the backbone for resiliency and thriving in adolescents are behind my thought process in this, so I am hoping to empower you, parents, to go for it. Engage fully and unconditionally with your teens during this forced break, and I shall join you at the finish line to celebrate the victory with you. The good news is most of these activities can be done at home with little or no money spending involved. Another good news is that they will mostly make y’all feel good afterward.
Below is a link to watch the Facebook live video I recorded concerning this, and further below is a concise list and discussion of the activities including a bonus number 20.
https://www.facebook.com/askdoctorlulu/videos/648139482586339/?t=0
Activities
1/ Go shopping together for groceries: This is a tried and tested process. As long as you are going to pick up only essentials and not purchasing more than you need. I recommend you go in and get out as fast as you can from the store. I do not recommend you purchase all the toilet paper, or all the hand sanitizer or gloves available at the store (like some people have resorted to). However, if you are stocking up to help the needy, then go ahead and do so. Don’t forget to stock up on fruits and vegetables, water, milk, and Vitamin C.
2/ Karaoke at home: I recommend you take turns with this. Each person gets to pick the genre of music and the song to sing to. Then you can switch the next day. This should be fun and will help loosen up tension and encourage easier communication. Those who would like to take it to the next level could dance instead, or better still, dance and sing together. Fun, fun, fun!
3/ Take a stroll around your neighborhood or your local greenway: For me, the outdoors are always beckoning me to come to play. I love the outdoors and never miss a chance to get out there. For some of you or your teens, you might require a little prodding. Grab your bug spray and get going. Keep the cellphones at home. This should be a deliberate attempt at bonding. Enjoying each others’ company.
4/ Watch TV/Movies: Netflix, Apple TV, Amazon prime movies, or simply your local TV stations should suffice. I love Jeopardy, but there are very many local shows, sitcoms, comedies, etc that you could watch together and discuss lessons learned from. Remember to get up and move around every 2 hours, ensure we are not sitting for a prolonged time each session to ward off any blood clots, or unnecessary eating/snacking.
5/ Board or Card games: This list is endless; from Scattergories to Scrabble, to Dominos, to Ludo, to 5-second Rule to Apples to Apples, Chess, Uno, Monopoly, Imaginiff, Heads, Night of the Werewolf, etc These are great for creating laughs, bonding, and overall wellbeing. ***Puzzles could also be added to this list. Soduko is another brain engaging game that families could play together. Many of these can all be downloaded from the internet.
6/ Cook or Bake together: This needs minimal explanation. Even if you don’t like cooking, I think it is a great bonding tool, because you can learn together. There are many cooks and chefs like my good friend Monika who has her own YouTube cooking channel who swear that cooking helps relieve stress… and I completely agree. So, grab your chef hats and aprons and let’s go!
7/ Story Time: This is the ultimate bonding activity. You, as the adult, could go first. This right here can serve as a tool for exploring your child’s experiences at school and at home. It could help uncover bullying, or other negative experiences we know takes place at school. For instance, you could talk about “uncomfortable things” that happened to you, or “weird things” that happened, “sad things”, happy things”, “scary things”, challenging things, etc. I learned this tool from a FB friend during one of my daily QODs that I post on FB. Haven’t heard of it? Join the fun here.
8/ Help a neighbor out: Do you live near someone who could use a chaperone, some help with grocery shopping, lawn mowing, taking out their trash, or mail delivery? You and your teen could help out around the neighborhood, teens could even make a few bucks from that. Bottom line, when they are involved in selfless activities, they are less likely to engage in self-pity, self-harm or any negative self-thoughts/talk which might lead them down the path of destruction.
9/ Volunteer: Whether it be a shelter, a group home, a habitat for humanity home, the food bank, meals on wheels or elsewhere, the act of volunteering is the ultimate act of selflessness, and a great way to bond while doing something good for someone else, thus investing in yourself that much more. In this blog from a while back, I listed volunteering as a surefire way to keep your teens active in the summer. If it works during the summer, it would most certainly work now.
“A heart that volunteers is a heart of gold” ~ Dr. Lulu
10/ Exercise: What volunteering does for the soul, exercise does for heart and body. Exercising is the ultimate team activity, and by this I mean, going to your neighborhood volleyball pitch, or taking a kickboxing class together, going to the gym together, practicing yoga, swimming, jump rope, a game of basketball, you name it, the list can only grow longer. Bring back team spirit, fun, laughter and healthy competition to your home, you will be so glad you did.
11/ Read together: Whether it be reviewing their schoolwork, leisure reading, or learning about something together, reading is one of the best ways to bond together. Remember when you used to read to them as kids? Well, let’s bring it back. Audiobooks are another awesome way to introduce group reading (if y’all can agree on what one book you should all read together, lol). Another idea is to spin a globe around, pick a random country and everyone reads about it for a later discussion.
12/ Pray together: For those who are into prayer, it is certainly a good way to focus on others (especially those who have been affected by, or afflicted with the virus). If you’d rather not pray, y’all can set aside a special time to meditate and practice mindfulness, to center yourselves and practice self-care. In one of my recent Facebook Lives, I introduced daily pulse checks (random points in the day when you and your teens can stop and perform a gratitude self-check) to help ward off those negative self-thoughts, and encourage a more gratitude-filled spirit.
13/ Eat together: It is no secret that a family that eats together, stays and thrives together. This is one habit that is fast fizzling out (even in my own home) as we all focus on individual thises and thats. Eating/breaking bread together is a family tradition that has its inception in the stone ages. We are slowly drifting away from it thanks to technology and personal devices. But we can all make a concerted effort to reserve 1-2 precious hours for deeply bonding and getting re-acquainted with each other.
14/ Spring cleaning: If you live in Texas as I do, you will know that Spring has sprung for some of us. Temperatures have started increasing outdoors. And it is time to open up the shed, clean out the attic, and declutter your drawers and shelves. No, I don’t think your teens will altogether appreciate this, but keep your eyes on the prize. We are creating memories here. Nothing else. So let’s give it our best shot 🙂
15/ Plant a garden: Talking about cleaning out sheds, while you are in there, bring out your farming tools, and let’s get busy planting a garden. I have a small piece of soil next to my shed with adequate sunlight where I grow everything from Cilantro to corn, to tomatoes and even peanuts. My sons helped me dig it up and place the right soil when I first started. These days, I plant the seeds and nurture the plants, while they help with weeds and such. But you can divide out the work any which way you like as long as you do it together.
16/ Video Games: Aaaaaah, I can’t even believe I am saying this…lol. As much as I dislike video games, I am recommending this because it has become a vital part of the average teenager’s life. My boys love video games, and I know how important this is to most teens today, so, if you are like me, and your kids love to game, then it is time to leave your comfort zone, roll up your sleeves, and get bonding. Leave your insecurities about video games behind, and go forth (I believe these words are meant for me:))
17/ Call and check in on family members and long lost friends: This is one sure way to keep the kids connected and re-acquainted with your (extended and nonextended) family members, close and not so close friends. Ensure they are calling or using facetime, not texting. Let them get back into the habit of actually speaking on the phone. It might need a little getting used to, but it will certainly create and increase family closeness.
18/ Adopt a pet: Many families already own pets, if you do, then this is a chance to get closer to the pet by taking turns to bath the pet, walk the pet, clean out their cages, and such. But if your family doesn’t own one, then this could be an opportunity to visit a pet store and adopt one. Ensure the topic is well discussed and y’all are in agreement of what type of pet to get, and whose responsibility it is to care for it. Take heed from someone who now has the awesome responsibility of walking our pet, Lulu every weekday…
19/ Journal about this experience: The entire Covid-19 thing is a brand new experience for all of us. I absolutely love to journal, so, I recommend you and your teen journal about your experience through all this. How has it helped your relationship? How has it impacted everyone? Has it been worth it? Any life lessons learned? You can take turns reading your entries weekly, or you cannot if you don’t want to share. Either way, carving out a set time daily to journal would be a great addition to your daily bonding activities.
BONUS
20/ Travel! In ending, I will ask that this should not be anything that should be expensive. It is sometimes the most exciting activity, but, as you know, this could also be a stressful time for some if care is not taken to plan it out well and deliver it right. Traveling can be a source of learning, of growing and of bonding as a family as a whole. My advice is to try all of the above options first before embarking on traveling in order to ensure that you are already very connected firmly before you do it. Enjoy!
PS: One of my favorite things to do these days is to inspire and teach parents of teens. I love engaging with them on a granular level about their parenting. After so many years as a pediatrician and parent coach, I have not only shared in your pain but also come out successful on the other side. So, I went to work, and created a handful of online courses to help you with some of the pains I have struggled with and now able to enjoy parenting by surmounting them. Check them out here, and don’t forget to share all this information with your friends. 😉
See you on the inside.
“A family that stays together, thrives together” ~ Dr. Lulu
BB
Words by Black Butterfly 