Making the Most of Working From Home: Ideas for Yourself and Your Kids

As of the total number of cases of COVID-19 continues to rise, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more and more businesses have closed their doors and sent their employees home to work. Many people may be finding it difficult to stay stuck inside during self-quarantine. We have compiled a short list here of ideas to help you make the most of your time at home.

Productivity at Home

Stay productive at home with these ideas!

• Read a Book: How often in your busy life do you have the opportunity to read that book that has been sitting on your shelf? Staying at home, at the very least, gives you back your normal commute time that you can now commit to plugging away at a new book. Looking for suggestions? Check out The New York Times bestseller list here.
• An Early Spring Clean: As the virus continues to spread, there has been a heightened focus on cleanliness. What better way to make use of your time stuck at home than to get a jump on your spring cleaning? The CDC has provided a resource page for cleaning your home in order to best protect against the COVID-19 virus. Disinfecting your home aside, maybe it’s time to organize your closet, clean out the ‘junk drawer’ in your kitchen, or wipe down your child’s toys. Whatever tasks you have been putting off or haven’t found the time for, now is the time to tackle them and make the most out of your quarantine.
• Tackling that Paperwork Pile: We know that pile of paperwork has probably been staring you down for a while now and probably seems daunting. However, spending time at home during this quarantine period could be well spent scaling the mountain of policies, bank statements, bills, etc. While reviewing your paperwork, it may also be a good time to review all of your insurance coverages, including auto and home insurance. When is the last time you checked to make sure you had enough coverage to fit your needs? You are protecting your community through quarantine, make sure you are protecting yourself and your family as well.

Kids at home?

Unexpectedly, parents are finding themselves at home with their children as more and more schools announce closures across the northeast. While most schools have provided virtual classrooms in order for children to continue their studies while at home, many parents have found themselves left with the dilemma of having to further engage and entertain their children when the normal avenues (i.e. playgrounds, play dates, indoor game facilities, etc.) are no longer an option. We have compiled a short list here of ideas to help parents keep their children engaged in fun, new and educational ways!

• Go to the Zoo (Virtually): The Cincinnati Zoo is bringing the wonder of the wild to your home! Beginning March 16^th, the Zoo will host a Facebook Live event each weekday at 3 pm. During these events, the Zoo will highlight one of their animal residents and will include an activity children and parents can do from home. “While the Cincinnati Zoo is closed and kids are home from school, let us help make your children’s hiatus from school fun and educational,” states the Zoo’s Facebook post from March 15^th after the establishment closed its door in an effort to control the spread of COVID-19. Tune in to the Cincinnati Zoo’s Facebook page here to join in on the next “Home Safari Facebook Live”.
• Bring Science Class Home: Just because your child isn’t going to school doesn’t meant that they have to miss out on the fun of science class! Science Fun offers numerous different science experiments kids and their parents can do at home, many using everyday items. Whether it’s making it rain inside of a jar or creating fizzing vinegar ice pops, there is something for everyone to learn from. Bonus! Science Fun also offers a host of fun jokes and trivia questions: How do you cut the sea in half? A See Saw!

• Kids Cooking at Home: Some of the fondest memories parents can create with their children involve cooking. So, what not use this time at home to get the kids in the kitchen? Cooking With Kids offers an online library of kid-safe recipes and tips to help parents and children alike in the kitchen.

• Get Reading and Learning: You don’t have to wait for school to be back in session for Scholastic’s fun and educational material! Scholastic Learn at Home provides parents and kids with a variety of free activities, videos and reading materials. The materials are broken down by grade level and offers 20 days’ worth of content. Be sure to check it out here!

Prevention is key when it comes to controlling the spread of COVID-19. While there is not a current treatment or vaccine available, the CDC has issued a list of recommendations to avoid contracting and/or spreading the virus. We at the American Bar Association Insurance Program wish you good health during this difficult time. As always, the ABA Insurance Program team is here to help with all of your insurance questions and needs. Please feel free to contact us during regular business hours at 1-855-874-0811.