Our lives in the U.S. have been upended in less than three weeks. In most areas of the country, restaurants and malls are closed. Public parks are shuttered. At least 123,000 public and private schools in the U.S. are closed right now—many for the remainder of the school year—impacting nearly 55 million students. Sports events and concerts are cancelled. Church services on Sunday morning have moved online.

It’s like something out of an apocalyptic TV show, or maybe a YA dystopian novel.

Are you anxious yet?

Most of us are under quarantine restrictions, and it’s probably going to get worse before it gets better. Operating in this new normal—at least for the time being—can be challenging. 

To help out, the Transcript Maker team put together a brief list of ways for your family to survive (and thrive!) during the coronavirus lockdown.

Above all, we wish you and your family safety and health over the coming weeks and months. If we can help you in any way, please reach out.

We know that spring is the time when many homeschool families work on transcripts. To help out, we’re offering a 30% discount  on all Transcript Maker plans using the code HOME2020.

1. Keep your family’s sanity with some fun

Homeschoolers are already family centric, so the quarantine life isn’t a huge disruption in daily schedules. Even so, most homeschool families are quite active during the week in their communities with things like co-ops, sports activities, music lessons, scouting, volunteer activities, and so much more.

So even for homeschool families, all that time cooped up together can mean we start to get on each other’s nerves! Here are some ideas to help out:

  • If you still have young children at home, the nonprofit First Things First has an awesome list of things to do at home with the kiddos.
  • Help your kids stay connected with their friends and loved ones over FaceTime or Skype. Set up a time for a virtual hangout with a group of their friends, or even schedule a virtual game night.
  • Be sure to still spend meaningful time together, free of technology, as a family.
  • Think beyond the four walls of your house and look for ways to support the poor in your community or small business owners who are suffering. Make a donation or order take out. Helping others is a wonderful way to soothe anxiety.

2. Use an online resource to learn something new

  • Kwan Academy is a free resource bank of online courses, lessons, and practice tools.
  • Lynda.com is another online compendium of how-do videos and instruction, ideal for high schoolers as well.
  • The Smithsonian has an online hub of millions of digital resources from across the Smithsonian’s museums, research centers, libraries, archives, and more.
  • Try out Duolingo, a free way for you and your students to learn a foreign language.
  • Or give Code.org a try. It’s a great way for your student to learn the basics of computer science and coding.

3. Take time to laugh

This is a serious situation. The death toll continues to mount and people are suffering, both physically and economically. But in hard times, it’s important to take time for lighter things. A good belly laugh does wonders for the spirit and helps us feel in a visceral way that this, too, shall pass.

In that spirit, here are some of our favorite Internet memes related to the coronavirus.

4. Balance your responsibilities as a parent with self-care

  • Try to carve out some time for exercise, like a walk around the neighborhood with your kids.
  • Stay connected with your own friends and family via phone or Skype/FaceTime.
  • Don’t feel ashamed if things are chaotic for a while.
  • If you’re now having to work from home and balance homeschool responsibilities, here is a great webinar from the Homeschool Legal Defense Association packed with tips for managing and coping.

What else are you doing to stay sane during the coronavirus quarantine? Let us know in the comments section below!