Menu Close

How Do I Survive Quarantine with My Partner & Kids?

So far, this global pandemic has been nothing short of historic and unprecedented. Schools have been closed down, lockdowns are still occurring randomly, many of us have been working remotely from home, and rolls of toilet paper have become a hot commodity. While everything may have seemed okay for a while, many families simply aren’t used to being around each other 24/7 for months on end.

That’s why it’s important to be proactive and have a plan. With that in mind, here are few tips to help you and your family get everything back on track and survive this new normal together.

Your Partner

happy family spending time together

If you’re living with your spouse, lover, or partner, now is the best time to talk openly and honestly about your feelings and expectations with everything that’s been going on. Ultimately, consider using the pandemic as an opportunity to work together as a couple, because teamwork always makes the dream work.

Not many relationships work well when they’re living in each other’s pockets all day and night for months on end. As a result, try letting go of any anger or guilt, drop the silent treatment, and ask each other for help while being vocal about offering your support. Take a breath before reacting or responding to everything, because you’re both most likely feeling much more tense, frustrated, and overwhelmed than usual. Not only will this benefit you both, but also the rest of your family as well.

Your Family

Most families will most likely have already been spending much more time together than usual, and the pandemic has been pretty taxing on all of us. So, whatever your current living circumstances may be, it’s important to remember that we’re all in the same situation together. Any time you notice that you’re starting to feel overwhelmed or upset with someone in your family, take a step back and remove yourself from the situation.

Families can have difficulties at the best of times, but you can get through this together with just a little help, some acknowledgment, and plenty of understanding from each other. That’s why it’s often a good idea to have a family meeting once each week as you can all check-in with each other and discuss the expectations of the household. While our work-life balance and personal boundaries have most likely been dramatically changed, households who work together during this pandemic will become that much stronger when it’s all over.

Your Children

Depending on their ages and how many you have, it can often be quite overwhelming with your children stuck at home with you every day for however long this goes on. Most children need stability in their lives, so it’s important to create and maintain routine and structure during uncertain times like these. Because without a set schedule to follow, many kids become increasingly anxious which causes them to act out more and generally misbehave.

Creating a weekly timetable for each child with starting and ending times that closely resemble their school week, with breaks for lunch in between. If you’re not feeling confident about mapping out the learning structure for each child, reach out to their teacher and ask if they can help. If you’re still feeling unsure, remember how many other parents all around the world are somehow figuring out to homeschool their kids over the last 12 months.

And Don’t Forget Yourself

Remember that self-care routines are extremely vital for your mental health, even more so now that we’re all living through a global pandemic. Otherwise, you’ll start to feel as though you’re in an almost constant state of anxiety and maybe even depression. You’re not alone in this, so you can always ask for help if you need it. Otherwise, just work together and do the best you can as a family.