You’ve got plenty of time to get to know each other.
I’m running out of ways to start articles with “so you’re trapped inside during a viral pandemic,” but I guess them’s the breaks. Some people are stuck inside alone, while others are stuck inside with their entire families. Some might argue that the latter is more likely to result in cabin fever shenanigans, but personally, I say those of you with the whole fam under one roof have an opportunity.
The world moves pretty fast these days. Kids want more to do with their friends and phones than their parents. There can still be love in that situation, but a lot of personal details can go by the wayside, and that’s a little sad. But since everyone’s home from school and work, you’ve got time to learn about each other.
If you’ve got younger kids, you can play around with them; play a board game, build a couch fort, run around in the yard. If you’ve got older kids, though, it might be good to share something you like with them. It doesn’t have to be anything spectacular; put on some of your favorite music, watch an old movie together, or just shoot the breeze about dumb stuff. Don’t force them if they really don’t want to, of course, but if you can get a dialogue going, you can learn a lot about each other.
In a time where we’re confined to one spot with whoever happens to live with us, it’s in our best interest to be chummy with those people. Otherwise, you end up with a giant yellow line down the middle of the living room, and that’s no fun for anyone.
