Tag: pandemic

How to Start Homeschooling Your Kids during a Pandemic

When a pandemic strikes, life as you know it, will be altered. You’ll be forced to make decisions that could impact the health of your family. While certain things may cease to function, you can’t ignore a child’s education. It may take a while for the local school districts to come up with “distance learning” so you will find yourself figuring out How to Start Homeschooling your own kids.

How to start homeschooling article cover image

If schools are still operating, you’ll be forced to send your child to school. During a pandemic, this could be a bad thing for your child and your family because wherever large groups of people congregate, the germs can thrive. 

This simple fact is why when one child gets sick in a school or daycare center, the illness spreads so quickly. This fact is also an excellent example of one of the reasons that during the H1N1 pandemic, approximately 600 schools closed down temporarily in an attempt to stop the virus from being spread among the children. 

How to Start Homeschooling Your Kids during a Pandemic

That wasn’t the first time the swine flu caused massive school closures. Some of the schools reacted by allowing the students to learn online at home, which is a form of homeschooling.

Deciding to homeschool is not an easy one to make – especially if you’ve never done it before. However, in a pandemic, it can turn out to be what’s best and safest for your family. 

Knowing when to homeschool should depend on the outbreak numbers you see, as reported by the news and other media. You need to stay on top of how many families with kids are calling in sick. 

For example, in the swine flu outbreak, almost half the students at one school called in sick. Before it reaches those proportions, it’s time to keep your child at home for schooling. 

Before You Start

You can find out from your child’s school where your student is in the learning process of each subject, and you can pick up from there so that he doesn’t lose out on any schooling.

You want to be prepared now for homeschooling. You can purchase books online in your child’s grade level – including teacher workbooks, answer keys, and lesson plans. 

Look specifically for subjects your child is currently taking. Find matching quiz and test booklets or make your tests from the text your child is reading. You can buy field equipment your child will need for biology such as microscopes, slides, and specimens. 

How to Start Homeschooling

Load up on books

Anything you can buy that will give your child a hands-on experience will help his education. You can buy books at bookstores and thrift stores. The local library also often has textbooks on sale for pennies on the dollar. 

You can find algebra books, foreign language books, science, psychology, and more. There’s so much information available that your child could end up better prepared educationally when he can return to school. 

Ultimate Homeschool Planner

We whipped this gem up for you to help keep track of everything you might need to know so you can stay organized. Hands down the largest challenge are staying on task/track when homeschool planning. If you are looking for homeschool planning pages then we have you covered with a daily lesson plan pages set as well as a printable homeschool calendar.,

homeschool planner for distance learning

Get your FREE Printable Homeschool Planner from us here:

homeschool-daily-lesson-planner-bugoutwithdannelleDownload

Make lesson plans

Start now printing off any materials you think you’ll use. Some homeschool websites will list resources, and you can print off lesson plans as well as lesson samples. 

While you are at it, find a few “fun things” to mix in for them, look for sites like THIS ONE to get ideas on movie studies, book report activities, or even seasonal worksheets.

Some online sites – such as Amazon – list some homeschooling digital books for free, so that would take care of a portion of what you need. You’ll want to have a lesson plan book and keep meticulous records of what your child learned so that you have a way to show accountability to the state that you live in. 

Check the regulations

Each state has different laws about homeschooling, so get informed now. You’ll also want to keep records of the day and hours your child worked on schoolwork so that you have attendance and time records.

Get Connected

It is very likely that you are not alone in this. Join online homeschooling groups to share hints and tips, as well as get them, from other parents who are in the same boat as you are.

Other posts you may find useful:

10 Creative Entertainment Ideas for Kids during a Pandemic

During a pandemic, everyone is affected irrespective of gender or age. People from all walks of life are affected, and kids are not spared. By their very nature, kids are hyperactive- they need to move, they need to interact, and focus on specific activities.

HOW TO ENTERTAIN KIDS DURING A PANDEMIC

Quarantine can be difficult for all, but entertainment ideas for kids are important, as they don’t often understand WHY we are all stuck at home.

Entertainment Ideas for Kids

Not being able to go to school, play with other kids, or just run outside can have a lasting impact on their lives. It is every parent’s and guardian’s responsibility to minimize the adverse effects of the lockdown on children. Doing this requires a certain level of creativity throughout the lockdown. 

Play fun group games

There are quite a number of board games that your kids can play to stay distracted during a pandemic. The most important thing to keep in mind is to stick to the kind of games that they love. You can also take part in some of the games to make things more interesting.

You could pick the game once in a while. Instead, try to involve the kids in the selection of a game. Stress to them that selecting a game is their responsibility.

GAMES TO PLAY WITH KIDS DURING QUARANTINE

Play brain-stimulating games

Brain games or games that challenge the intellect will not only keep your kids mentally sharp but will also keep them competitive and entertained.

Compliment your children when they complete a level or stage to keep them motivated and feeling proud. Encourage them when they fail to achieve a certain level the same way you would encourage them when they are doing their homework. 

Try online games

You can also try playing online games with your kids or let them play with their friends online can be a great addition to our list of entertainment ideas for kids. However, keep a close eye on the kind of games and activities they choose to play online. 

entertainment ideas for kids helping with household chores

Let your kids help with the household chores

Household chores are yet another activity; aside from games, you can engage with your kids. Teach them or ask them to give you a hand with the tasks and make it enjoyable.

They can help prepare their favorite meal, help set the table, and help clean the house by dusting the furniture. They can also help with washing or folding the laundry. Some kids love it when they do something that their parents encourage or ask them to do. So, give it a try! 

Start a family project

You can come up with specific family projects that your kids can participate in. It could be any type of project that your kids will love. It does not have to be a school project. It could be the kind of project that they can actively contribute to.

For example, you can grow pot-based plants, repaint the bedrooms, or build a 3D puzzle or create your genealogical tree. You could even learn a family dance on YouTube or form a band if you have instruments lying around.

Give them books to read

Books are a great way of keeping your kids’ minds off the pandemic. So, try giving them books to read. You could give every child a different book according to their age and then ask for a 5-minute summary every day before they go to bed.

This will not only keep them busy, but it will also perfect their intellect as well as feed their curiosity. Make sure there is a reward for each completed book. Try the site www.SarahLynGay.com for cool ideas on things to do with certain books like her Seven Wonders Unit Study .

entertainment ideas for kids reading a book

Help with their schoolwork

While kids stay at home while schools are closed, they may be given assignments and homework. You can keep your kids entertained by helping them out with their homework.

If the school does not provide them with any work to do while at home, you can come up with your assignments. Focus on areas that your child is currently struggling with at school to help make the work understandable. 

Watch movies with them

Movies are, without a doubt, a great source of entertainment for both adults and kids. You could watch one or two videos a day with your kids as a form of entertainment. Check out SarahLynGay.com for fun things to do with movies like: How to Host a Magical Aladdin Movie Family Fun Night

blowing bubbles with a kid

Have them come up with their own ideas of entertainment

Coming up with great ideas of entertainment for your kids is a good thing. Nonetheless, if you want them to enjoy themselves truly, you can let them come up with their own forms of entertainment.

Doing so is also a great way to empower them when you have run out of ideas. All you have to do is approve of the kind of entertainment they choose and participate cheerfully when asked. 

Help cultivate their talents

Every dark cloud indeed has a silver lining. Even during a pandemic, your kids’ skills can be improved. You can take advantage of the situation and find ways of enhancing or also discovering your child’s talent. For example, if your child is an aspiring artist, encourage the artist in him or her by buying color books, pencils, and crayons.

You could also go the extra mile by visiting reputable art galleries online and explaining what each photo symbolizes, where and when the painting was made, and what inspired the artist to produce that particular painting. Try the site www.SarahLynGay.com for cool ideas on things to do with the littles in the world of STEM!

Other things involving kids

Get Your Pandemic Kit Ready For Emergencies

The key to surviving a pandemic with the minimum effect is to be prepared. It is even more relevant if there is going to be a lockdown. That is why a Pandemic Kit is something you need to consider.

PANDEMIC KIT

To prepare for a pandemic and a possible lockdown, you have to put together an emergency kit and store essential supplies.

GET YOUR PANDEMIC EMERGENCY KIT READY

Any good prepper already has an emergency kit — you should only have to tweak it a little bit to upgrade it for the purposes of a pandemic.

An emergency kit you should have before an outbreak

Before there is even a worldwide outbreak, you should have the following items in your emergency kit:

  • Purchase and keep some prescription medication and over-the-counter medicines. Prescription medication includes any form of medication that you would typically take for your existing condition. Over-the-counter medicines include analgesics, antiemetic, stomach relievers, antihistamines, vitamins, etc. Take good note of the expiry dates for your medication and make sure to renew it at least 30 days before it expires.
  • Ask for copies of your medical records from your physician. These can be very useful to first responders in the event of an emergency during a pandemic.
  • Keep a list of emergency numbers for the different government departments.
  • Store reasonable quantities of tinned or dry food and bottled water.
  • Store sanitary and Hygiene products.
  • Have a First-Aid kit readily available– usual antiseptic, bandage, gloves, scissors, and plaster bands are essential to attend to any bumps or bruises while confined at home.
  • Household spares and DIY kits can also become handy if you need to replace light bulbs or conduct minor repairs. So, it is always advisable to buy in advance the right type of spare bulbs which you use at home as well as the standard batteries for household equipment. A general DIY toolkit can also be of essential help since hardware stores would most likely be closed during a lockdown.
Pandemic kit canned goods in a pantry

Refill and update your emergency pandemic kit during an outbreak 

Once a situation is declared a pandemic, refill and upgrade your emergency kit according to the type of situation. The following items must be checked and be available if possible:

  • A thermometer to control body temperature. If you live with other people, it is best to get a digital non-contact thermometer. Don’t also forget to buy spare batteries for your digital thermometer!
  • Hand sanitizers and liquid soap are a must.
  • A backup glucometer to measure blood sugar if you or any member of your family has diabetes.
  • One-time use only surgical gloves.
  • Sanitary masks, if agents of the outbreak are transmissible by air or droplets. Pay attention to the health authorities and get the right sanitary masks they recommend.
  • Food to last you for a week or two. When storing food for a pandemic, always make sure you think of other people as well. Do not overbuy to the extent that you create shortages for other people.
  • Update and refill your medication. Add other medication that is related to the outbreak as instructed by the authorities.
Pandemic Kit first aid supplies

Other things you may wish to add:

  • Ingredients from alternative medication can also be useful during a pandemic. Get lemons, honey, ginger, cinnamon, mint leaves, essential oils, and other natural agents known to have healing or antiseptic properties.
  • Entertainment material. Depending on your interests and the number of family members, books and magazines are always a good option. Board games and group games, as well as other entertainment activities for multiple people, is also an excellent choice to keep.
  • If you have pets, do not forget to buy pet food.
  • You should also get some stationery and other office-related supplies just in case you have to self-isolate and work from home.
  • If you can afford it, an Air-Purifying respirator can be a good and useful investment.

When preparing or refilling your emergency pandemic kit, remember always to check expiration dates for perishable items. Do not also forget to think about other people, meaning DO NOT OVER-BUY.

Other posts you may find useful:

Pandemic Preparedness: Meeting Your Family’s Hygiene Necessities

After food and water, hygiene products are the next items that disappear from shelves when a pandemic strikes. So your odds of getting what you have to have during a time when needs are elevated are slim. It pays to know what Family’s Hygiene Necessities for a Pandemic Preparedness would or should look like.

Pandemic Preparedness article cover image

You want to prepare now so that you don’t have to fight crowds. Plus, you want to make sure you can stay isolated from them so that you won’t bring any illness back to your own home. 

Cover Your Family’s Hygiene Necessities for a Pandemic Isolation Period

What Do You Need?

You’ll want to figure out how much of each hygiene product your family goes through by adding up what you usually go through in a year. Then multiply that by at least two years. 

Hygiene items can store that long, so even if the pandemic doesn’t last that long, you won’t have wasted the expense of buying the items. You’ll need to stock up on toilet paper. 

toilet paper shortage

Toilet Paper

If the Covid-19 panic buying taught us anything, it was the fact that TP is king. There were Facebook groups dedicated to a “where is it now” concept to help people find what they needed. Add in all the TP memes talking about how TP was used to make moonshine, or it was replacing poker chips?

It became pretty clear that this baby is important to have. The best rule of thumb for Pandemic Preparedness is to figure two rolls per family member per week with extra rolls figured in for the event of an illness that could require more usage.

Teeth

For toothpaste, think that a family of four would need two tubes of toothpaste per month.  Dental floss should be figured at one container per month per person. Toothbrushes should be replaced more often during a pandemic because of the higher chance of you having to deal with germs.

A good rule of thumb is to change toothbrushes every four weeks – sooner if anyone in the family has an illness. In between time? Throw them in your dishwasher each week for a quick clean. Toothpaste?

This isn’t so critical as you can even resort to baking soda in a pinch or worst-case scenario? Just brush with water. You really want to get the “scum” off your teeth and prevent plaque build-up.

homemade toothpaste

Soap

You’ll need bar soap. If you currently use liquid hand soap, it’s more cost-effective to plan to use bar soap during a pandemic. However, since pandemics are spread through viruses and germs, you’ll want to make sure that you have a hearty supply of hand sanitizer to use during the length of the isolation period. 

There are those of us that like to make our own – I have an oatmeal honey sensitive skin bar that I make and love for my daughter’s skin, but prefer the Eucalyptus soap recipe for myself that I found HERE.

make your own soap for Pandemic Preparedness

Deodorant

While this doesn’t seem like a top priority for pandemic preparedness, everyone in the family – except for infants and small children – will need deodorant. Using the solids is more cost-effective than the spray-on kind. Figure a container per person that uses it per month. It doesn’t really pay to stock up on 5-10 years’ worth of this, it degrades pretty fast.

Feminine Hygiene Items

Feminine products should be figured at the current use, but always store extras in case of additional needs. If you use condoms for intimacy, you’ll want to pack a supply of those as well to keep those little swimmers in check. If you don’t?

You may find a bonus family member in about nine months. There are already jokes about the Covid-19 pandemic babies being called “Quaranteens” a dozen years from now. A few tampons should also go in your first aid kit – professional sports medicine docs use them for nose injuries!

tampons are also good for the first aid kit when looking at Pandemic Preparedness

Razors

You’ll need to pack in storage a supply of razors for both men and women as well as an amount of shaving cream. The shampoo is something you can also store up, but in a pinch, hand soap can be used to wash hair if you don’t have enough shampoo. 

Basic Skin and Nail Care

You never know when a problem will strike, and Pandemic Preparedness needs to take that into account. Is it the middle of winter? Lotions for dry skin should also be on your store list. Also, add Chapstick to prevent cracked lips from occurring. Q-tips and nail clippers for each person should also be stored for use.

You’ll want separate nail clippers to help keep nail fungus and other bacteria or viruses at bay. A Great DIY Home Manicure Starts with a Manicure Kit has a great list of basic supplies.

tips for home pedicures

It goes beyond saying that if you have infants, you’ll want to store up diapers and baby wipes. Now you’ll want to be careful on the diaper sizing since babies can outgrow diapers. So buy these in size increments to allow for that. 

Other posts you may find useful:

Pandemic preparedness woman holding TP article cover image

What is Quarantine during an Outbreak?

During a disease outbreak, you may need to quarantine your family to keep the disease from entering your home. But it’s challenging to isolate your family if you don’t have supplies on hand to survive for a long time. A lot of people do not know what is quarantine and how you do it.

what is quarantine

You may also encounter a situation where you have a sick family member that needs to be quarantined from the rest of the household. If you don’t come in close contact with a virus, you can’t get sick from it. 

We learned a bit from the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic, and people’s general failure to take social distancing seriously. With older adults, people with a compromised immune system, or other issues? It was life-threatening for many and hard to watch people on “Spring Break” romping on the Florida beaches when we were all trying to be responsible.

Some of these tips may seem a bit extreme but consider the situation. If we are talking about Ebola, they seem more understandable. For those with family members with high-risk factors? It makes a little bit more sense. It pays to plan ahead, as once a pandemic hits? It is hard to find supplies. These tips should help anyone who wonders : “What is Quarantine”

How to Quarantine Your Family During an Outbreak

The purpose of quarantine, then, is to prevent the possibility of coming into contact with a virus that can be deadly and spread quickly – just as the common cold is easily spread.

Keep Disease Out of Your Home

If the purpose of quarantine is to keep a healthy family member well, you’ll need to be prepared ahead of time with all of the supplies you need for food, sanitation, and hygiene. 

keep disease out of your home

You’ll want to seal off the outside entrances of your home using duct tape and plastic sheeting to cover doors and windows. Most people find it helpful to cut out plastic sheeting ahead of time that will fit these entrances so that in times of stress, all you have to do is tape them up. Make sure you label them for ease of the job.

It’s essential to have a designated area outdoors where you’ll place items such as used bags for personal waste. It’s not a good idea to store these in your home because they increase the risk of developing a host of diseases. We really like these Double Doodie Bags that fit a 5-gallon pail.

Once you’re sheltered in place, you’ll want to keep communication lines open with radio communication so that you’ll know when it’s safe to leave your home.

How is your first aid kit?

Make sure your medical kit is up to snuff too – we love MediTac for our supplies – and they have free shipping for all orders over $50. We keep a kit at home, one in the camper, and one in each car.

free shipping banner

What to Do When a Family Member Is Ill

A more likely scenario when it comes to illness is that you’ll have one or more members of your family who have become ill. Those people will need to be quarantined in a room of your home or another nearby place. 

For example, if you have a motor home, cabin, or detached garage, you can use these as quarantine areas. These rooms need to be sealed off with duct tape and plastic sheeting. 

how to make a quarantine kit

You’ll also need to place a sign on the entrance stating that it is a confined area. This sign warns people to stay out unless they’re wearing protective clothing. Right outside the door, you’ll need to set up a sanitation area that contains soap, water, latex gloves, masks, and other protective equipment as required. 

Before people enter the room, they need to put on the proper protective gear. Before returning to the rest of the household, they need to properly dispose of gloves, masks, and other disposable items and make sure they wash their hands thoroughly.

Do You Have kids?

We haven’t seen a lot of the quarantine culture in our country as vaccines have been developed to handle everything from Measles to Small Pox. (thank goodness!) I remember the stories from my own grandpa about signs on the houses, etc. from when he was a boy.

It can be a very scary time for the littles – so maybe practice with a loved stuffy or two prior to any event actually occurring. Once they are comfortable with the concepts, or idea? They will be a part of your team in the event of any real emergency.

Other posts you may find helpful:

what is quarantine article for families cover image of mecial supplies

Panic Buying, the Real Problem

When a hurricane is predicted to hit an area and be a fairly nasty one. When a pandemic hits and locals schools and churches are closed. When a blizzard is expected. That is when panic buying starts to be a key factor in why prepping for disaster is a way to go.

panic buying

Panic Buying, the Real Problem

Let’s look at the COVID-19 Pandemic as an example: panic buying at its best. While you can do a quick Twitter search for the hashtag #Panicbuying and see for yourself, there is a huge selection of photos and videos on shelf clearing, physical fights over things like toilet paper, and hoarders. While the memes make you chuckle for a moment, if you take a second to think, it is sad and scary.

Panic Buying Definition

Panic buying occurs when consumers buy unusually large amounts of a product in anticipation of, or after, a disaster or perceived disaster, or in anticipation of an incredibly large price increase or shortage.

Yup – that is certainly what happened when people realized COVID-19 was a more serious thing than they had originally thought.

Panic Buying Effects

It screws up the balance of supply & demand and then leads to a major disruption of the supply chain. You would then hit empty shelves, and possible price gouging as stores know they have what you absolutely need and will probably pay what they ask for.

Yup – we saw this. A lot of empty shelves, and then places like Walmart raising prices on everything from toilet paper to ground beef.

Panic Buying Jokes

Sometimes you simply need to laugh. We were all scared, there was so much that was unknown, and the information we were living by changed every day it seemed. Humor came to our rescue.

Here are a few of my favorite jokes:

Ran out of toilet paper and started using lettuce leaves. Today was just the tip of the iceberg, tomorrow romaines to be seen.

Yesterday I ran out of soap and body wash and all I could find was dish detergent. Then it Dawned on me.

How did the health experts lie? They said a mask and gloves was enough to go to the grocery store. When I got there, everyone else had clothes on.

What do you call panic-buying of sausage and cheese in Germany? The wurst-kase scenario.

The grocery stores in France look like tornadoes hit them. All that’s left is de brie.

Some of the first things to vanish

Toilet paper.

Not a square can be found on any shelf, in any store. With the COVID-19 being a respiratory illness, that was surprising and something most stores didn’t see coming. Everyone knew the handsoap, hand sanitizer, and disinfecting wipes would vanish quickly, but the toilet paper was a stunner.

panic buying toilet paper

Medical supplies.

Think of what you need when you have the flu; things to help with an intake of fluids and rest. Gatorade, broth, juice, meds to help lower a fever, and Kleenex. These items were cleared out of stores quickly, along with any over-the-counter flu and cold medicines.

Meat.

People were grabbing multiple packs of ground beef and chicken. We saw one lady grab 12 packs of chicken! The poor guy in the meat department couldn’t get stuff on the shelves fast enough, people were taking it right out of his hands or out of the boxes he was pulling items from.

panic buying where stores limit amount of items to be purchased with signs

Canned Goods.

Spagettios, baked beans, and even soup seemed to vanish. Many stores started putting up signs that said “no more than 4 of each kind” to limit the hoarding and make sure everyone had enough to go around.

Bread.

Let’s face it, schools are out and sandwiches are the fast and easy fix for feeding the kiddos. Peanut butter and jelly are a quick go-to for most families, along with eggs and toast. White bread seemed to be the winner over wheat, vanishing faster than you could blink.

Panic Buying Costco

Even Costco was out of things like toilet paper – and soon put limits onto how much of certain items you were allowed to purchase. It took 8 months for the “limit of one” case of toilet paper signs to disappear.

So let’s make a list

Looking ahead, it pays to have an adequate stock of the things we already talked about. You can avoid the panic buying and fighting people at the stores to just pick up your weekly list. Granted, this makes a lot of sense to spread out over a period of time. It is easier on the pocketbook, for one thing.

  • Pain Reliever
  • Fever Reducer
  • Toilet Paper
  • Feminine Hygiene Items
  • Hand Sanitizer
  • Disinfecting Wipes
  • Kleenex
  • Band-Aids
  • Rubbing Alcohol or Peroxide
  • Soap
  • Household cleaning supplies
  • Antacids
  • Canned Meat (easy to do yourself with ground beef and chicken!)
  • Canned Veggies
  • Canned Fruit
  • Canned Soups
  • Vegetable oil
  • Juice
  • Gatorade
  • Cereals
  • Beans
  • Lentils
  • Pasta
  • Pasta Sauces
  • Peanut Butter
  • Jelly
  • Dried Fruit
  • Nuts
  • Powdered Milk
  • Pet items
  • Candy
  • Supplies for Baking like: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar, powdered sugar

There are a lot of other things to consider, and if you join our mailing list? You will get a 52-week stock up plan that helps you build your inventory with a minimal investment each week. You will be prepared for the next big emergency and not have to worry about panic buying. You can stay home with your toilet paper and lookup #panicbuying on Twitter and enjoy and chuckle at the memes and craziness.

Other posts you may find interesting:

panic buying costco

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