The Journal

Filed Under: Things

Things To Keep You Sane Volume I.

A round-up of our favorite get-your-familly-through-these-longer-than-usual-days ideas from Team Storq.

Hello hello. Seeing as we are stuck inside our homes with our fingers up our noses for the foreseeable future, we’re all missing the daily variety and moments of serendipity that we often take for granted in our regular non-quarantine lives. With this list, we are hoping to provide ideas, resources and inspiration to keep everyone grounded and to make each day feel different from the one that came before. So dive right in, there’s more to come!

1. FOR YOU

COPE
Parenting during a global health crisis is uncharted territory for all of us. So let’s just go easy on ourselves and lower that bar all the way down to the ground and then bury it. How to work from home with kids via The Cut.

RELAX
If meditating wasn’t your thing before, congratulations, it is now your thing. Free meditations and exercises for our uncertain times via Headspace.

The Cut: Now Is the Perfect Time to Lower the Parenting Bar.

READ
Sometimes it takes a global pandemic to help you realize (or reaffirm) that certain sentiments are most eloquently expressed through art. A timely poem by Barbara Kingsolver via NYT.

WATCH
Because there are still a few things that are even stranger than the situation you’re in right now. Tiger King via Netflix.

LAUGH
Work from home family politics distilled into 15 high level Slack channels via McSweeney’s.

Barbara Kingsolver: How to Survive This.

LAUGH MORE
They’ve got questions and you’ve got only a very thin veneer of patience left. What it’s like to work from home with kids via @ijessewilliams.

MAKE
The importance of taking charge of how your home smells during the age of quarantine cannot be overstated. DIY signature home scents via Food52.

MOVE
Dance like everybody’s watching. Join thousands of sweaty strangers on a super fun group dance livestream with Dance Church.

Netflix: The Tiger King.

COOK
Your MVP (most valuable pantry) recipe. A genuinely delicious meal option that requires no fresh ingredients except garlic. Victoria Granof’s pasta con ceci via Food52.

HELP
No Kid Hungry is focused on supporting children who have lost access to daily meals provided by their schools. You can donate here.

STATUS UPDATE
Pregnancy during a pandemic adds layer upon layer of extra stress on top of everything else. Expert answers to some of the most pressing concerns via the NYT.

NYTimes: Pregnant and Worried About Coronavirus? Experts Weigh In.

2. FOR THEM

READ
One of our fave children’s book authors will be reading his books over Instagram Live a few days a week during quarantine. Stay at Home Story Time via @oliverjeffers.

WATCH
It was cute when your kids attempted hand washing pre-pandemic but the stakes are a little higher now. Here’s a fun song to make the learning process more enjoyable via NHS.

DISTRACT
Here are some excellent, mostly passive games you can play with your kids when you are totally exhausted. You will be playing these a lot. Via Cup of Jo.

NHS: How to Wash Your Hands.

DISTRACT
An artful mama shares one small activity that she does with her kids each day. Simple, achievable and fun ideas via @theindigobunting (in the highlights!).

DISTRACT
Free audio stories for little ones means more free time for you via Audible.

MOVE
Story-driven yoga with an adorably charismatic instructor and a different trippy backdrop for each lesson. Exercising can and should be fun via Cosmic Kids App.

Audible: Stories Help.

MAKE
You kids will spend actual hour(s) occupied making things out of clay that look nothing like what they say they are. DIY air-dry clay via @rudyjude.

PLAY
It’s easy to forget how very simple moments of discovery spark maximum joy in little humans. Send them out exploring with an easy scavenger hunt via The Many Little Joys.

STATUS UPDATE
If our current situation is mystifying for adults, imagine how confusing it is for kids who just love asking all of the questions. A science reporter does his best to get them some answers via NYT.

The Daily: A Kids Guide to Coronavirus.

Some other things to keep you feeling good here here here and here. Stay tuned for Volume II.

If You Read One More Thing

How to practice self care while sheltering in place when you’re expecting, postpartum or parenting. And other ideas for making your own health and well-being a priority.