Your kids are home from school, and maybe you are even working from home now. Social distancing is the new normal, while other fears and anxieties are all around us. Your family needs you. Here are three essential ways to lead your family during COVID-19.
1. Have Fun Together
I know the stress of life may be overwhelming you right now, but you need to laugh together. Your kids will fill their day with as much screen time as possible unless you interrupt it. Yesterday, I saw a dad practicing social distancing but still taking his kids out for a walk. He had one son on his shoulders and decided to have a race down the sidewalk with his other son. It was so cool to see the smiles and hear the laughter from these kids.
You have an opportunity to make some new memories – go for it. Rediscover board games or search online for crazy games for the whole family. Whatever you do, just take some time for fun.
2. Teach Your Kids New Skills
They may not be able to go to school, but that doesn’t mean your kids have to stop learning. Take some time to teach some new skills to your kids. Here are some ideas:
- Cooking / Baking
- Laundry / Ironing
- Changing winter tires on the car
- Financial planning (let them in on some of your challenges and work together to address them)
This is a fantastic opportunity to invest in your kids’ development.
3. Spiritual Formation
The spiritual health of your family is the most important investment you will make. This is a time to grow together in experiencing God’s sovereignty and promises while showing each other and the world how much you love him.
Here are some ways to engage in the spiritual formation of your kids:
- Memorize Bible verses together as a family. I will share some ideas on how to memorize the Bible in another post.
- Engage with the Bible together. If your kids are young – read stories about God’s power in other similar moments in history. Ask your teenage kids what the Bible has to say about the kinds of times we live in.
- Pray together. Ask every person what their biggest fears are and pray about those. Talk about people around you who are facing difficult times and pray together for those people.
- Make sure your family is connected to the church still. If your church is streaming the service, bring your family together to watch it. Some churches have children and youth activities happening online – help them to connect there. If you have online small groups – make sure you stay connected. Model to your family that spiritual formation and community is still important during this time.
We are living in a unique moment in history. It’s an opportunity for parents everywhere to lead your family in even greater ways. You’ve got this!
About
