Between remote learning and working from home, parents have the opportunity to get creative with new schedules, routines and workspaces. According to RVshare, rental bookings are on the rise. A recent survey found that RV rentals are predicted to spike well into Fall with 69% of respondents planning to hit the road within the next 3 months.
With all of this new-found freedom, families are choosing to homeschool on the road. Each destination becomes part of the lesson plan. RVshare connected with 2 families who are hitting the road full-time.
Julie Patridge from Mount Airy, Maryland owns an event planning company, but recently decided to take her business on the road alongside her husband, four children and dog Chewy. Her family has been enjoying the outdoors for four years now and quickly noticed they were always happier when camping so they plan to homeschool and transition full-time into a camper by mid-November as soon as their house sells.
Patridge said, “There is something so freeing about living a simpler life with less stuff and more adventures! I started wondering if there was a way to make it work. I threw out the idea about two years ago and Jeff warmed up to it rather quickly. We’ve been slowly downsizing since then and are almost ready to go!”
Jenny St. Louis from Windsor, California has been traveling since July with her family. They are currently in Montana with plans to go to Idaho this weekend. Since they hit the road, they’ve stopped in California, Washington, Oregon and Montana with plans to visit most of the national parks in other states!
St. Louis said, “We decided to do it for a life change! We never saw my hubby! He was a general sales manager at a Ford dealership! Worked about 60 hours a week. So we didn’t really see him.”
If you want to take school on the road long-term or just for a short trip, RVshare allows you to do that easily with more than 100,000 rental options nationwide and flexible cancellation policies.
How have you been dealing with the added stresses the pandemic, distance learning, and working remotely? Fintech company, Self Financial, asked over 1,000 Americans how their finances and mental wellbeing were connected in a series of questions to uncover the true cost of mental health. It turns out that people are spending an average of $287 a month on their mental health from direct and indirect sources.
1,066 Americans from across all states, with a range of financial backgrounds, were polled using Amazon’s survey platform from Jun. 29 to Jul. 4 on a range of questions about their financial and mental wellbeing.
The most popular indirect methods people are spending their money on for the benefit of their mental health are TV and streaming services (51.5%), socializing (48%), music streaming (44%), and food and drink (43%). In terms of direct methods, 72% of our respondents utilize counseling, 24% use mental health apps and 19% use sports and exercise as a means of looking after their mental wellbeing.
When asked about their experience during the global pandemic specifically, almost 1 in 5 (18%) said that TV streaming like Netflix and Disney+ was one of the three most important things for their mental health to combat the effects of COVID-19. This was found to be more important than counseling, mental health apps and podcasts, alcohol, journals, and music.
Despite streaming’s positive effects on viewers, 81.3% of people said that their mental health will ‘definitely’ improve after the pandemic is over.
Kristie Norwood, PhD, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist said, “Television shows can serve as a mechanism for people to mentally avoid dealing with everyday life challenges, remain connected to popular culture, experience positive emotions, and validate aspects of their lives. Through portrayed character experiences, viewers are able to feel a sense of internal connection, validation and normalization when their personal life situations are displayed; this pleasant connection and gratification often triggers dopamine in the brain which causes the behavioral response of continuous streaming, also known as “binge-watching.”
Back to school is looking very different this year with continued online learning and limited extracurricular activities. Keeping kids connected, even virtually, is more important than ever before. Jackbox Games has a collection of educational games which can serve as the perfect after-school virtual play date to keep your kids socially connected with their friends.
Jackbox Games, known for their party games, has several interactive educational games that are easily played together or remotely via Zoom, perfect for parents looking for a fun way to keep their kids connected without feeling guilty for letting them play a video game.
Some of the best educational and fun Jackbox Games include:
Dictionarium: a silly game of making up new definitions for gibberish words like “flonx” or fake expressions like “fish shrugging” – also a helpful tool for teaching kids about synonyms and sentence building!
Drawful 2: a hilarious drawing game for people who can’t draw.
Patently Stupid: the game that will turn you into a modern Tom Edison!
Quiplash 2: the gut-busting battle of wits and wittiness – now parents can even create their own questions for a themed playdate.
Role Models: The offbeat personality test Role Models (3-6 players). Find out who you really are. (Or at least what your friends think of you.)
Families who love the activity-based video-calling app Caribu will be excited to hear that they have teamed up with DC, one of the largest publishers of comics and graphic novels in the world. Caribou is expanding the app’s content to a broader audience including kids ages 8 through 12 with the addition of 77 kid-friendly titles. Through interactive reading and video-calling, Caribu is helping kids to stay connected, educated and engaged from a distance with free content for new users all summer.
Caribu users can now access a variety of DC kids titles from popular comics series like DC Super Hero Girls, Teen Titans Go!, Scooby-Doo and Looney Tunes. The app also features free previews of DC’s acclaimed middle grade graphic novels, including sneak peeks at Shannon and Dean Hale’s Diana: Princess of the Amazons illustrated by Victoria Ying, Meg Cabot’s Black Canary: Ignite illustrated by Cara McGee, Ridley Pearson’s Super Sons trilogy illustrated by Ile Gonzalez, and additional works by Minh Lê, Kirk Scroggs and many more.
To engage the younger crowd in the comic book conversation this summer, Caribu has deemed Jul. 20 to Jul. 26 Superhero week in their Virtual Summer Reading program, Caribu will highlight a selection of titles from the DC universe for users to read with daily prompts and activities they can use to engage in a more immersive way with the content.
“We pride ourselves in offering a variety of content for a wide range of ages and interests on Caribu,” said Maxeme Tuchman, CEO and CO-Founder at Caribu. “Partnering with DC allows us to meet the needs of older kids who want to have virtual playdates with family and friends so they too can stay entertained and engaged this summer.”
Caribu also recently announced #CampCaribu! 100 Days of Summer Reading Camp, a dynamic summer reading program that you can do together with family and friends in an interactive video-call. All Caribu books and activities are interactive during calls, allowing both parties to turn the page, draw together in real-time, and point to words so kids can follow along.
Visit caribu.com to download the app and enjoy FREE access to “educational screen time” activities this summer, or check out their Facebook Page to learn more. To learn more about DC and the World’s Greatest Super Heroes, visit dccomics.com
“Alexa, how do I go to a friend house and not germs?” My heart sank. My incredibly resilient, almost-four-year-old had had enough of sheltering in place. I had seen earlier signs of fatigue and didn’t realize it. A couple of weeks ago he had started inviting the entire cast of Paw Patrol over to the house to stay for dinner. Yes, he regularly engages in pretend play, but this was different. He made a big deal over opening the door to the house each time they “came over” and welcoming them in.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been hard on all of us, introverts and extroverts alike. As a people, we are accustomed to doing things when and how we want to do them. No more is this visible than at the preschool age where our children are developmentally just able enough to start grasping what’s going on, but not quite able to understand things on a meaningful level. For our particular preschooler, we broke things down into simple soundbites: there are bad germs in the air; we don’t want to get sick; everybody is staying home as much as they can, so we don’t mix with the bad germs. We can’t visit our friends and they can’t visit us. This worked for the first couple of weeks. The extroverted and socially dynamic child that he is, we found ourselves in a quandary. How do we keep him connected and safe at the same time? Through trial and error, we found some things that are working for us, as usual, your mileage may vary:
1. Arrange a Distance Picnic with Friends. Yes, you can picnic outside with your friends, it just takes a bit of creativity. Here’s where ingenuity is essential. Use your WI-FI connection to have virtual picnics across distances.
If you don’t have WI-FI, or if your friends are right next door another option is picnicking “across the fence.” Yet another is meeting at a place that’s big enough to allow all of you to be close, but separate. With restrictions easing up, this is now much more doable, and safer. Just please, use your common sense. You cannot take care of your child if you are sick.
2. Teleconferencing Is Not Just for Adults. We’ve had much success setting up one-on-one playdates between our child and his friends via videoconference. Essential for us has been limiting the number of children on the “call.” We’ve found that when there are two or three kids their participation is more natural and they each take turns. The higher the number of kids, the more chaos ensues.
3. Stay Connected in Different Ways. Have your child draw pictures for their friends and send them by mail. Do the same thing for family members that are not with them. Teach them about the value of sending notes, even if it’s a simple “Hi” that is crudely written, photographed, and texted across the ether. When reading a story with your child, ask them questions like: “Does this remind you of . . .?” “Wouldn’t your friend like this story too? Keep their friends present by referencing them in your daily interactions.
4. Get Outside and Distract—Take Long, Active Walks in Your Neighborhood. Going for a walk is a wonderful distraction that gets the blood pumping and provides healthy exercise for the whole family. However, I’m not advocating a simple, family walk. There are lots of different types of walks you can take to engage your child. Here are two examples:
A Sensory Hunt: Make a list of sensory activities that you can “discover” on your walk throughout the neighborhood. Is there a tree that can be climbed? Is there an airplane/helicopter that can be heard? Are there flowers that can be smelled? Are there rocks/grasses/bricks that can be touched? The possibilities for the list are endless. Have your child explain to you what sense is being used for each object. Not only does it get you outside of the house, but it also gets your mind, and the child’s mind engaged in critical thinking skills.
An Activity Scavenger Hunt: This activity is a hit with our energetic four-year-old and we owe it to his dedicated PE teacher! Make a list of objects to find on the scavenger hunt: a red car, a blue bicycle, etc…Then, make a list of activities you have to do for each object that is found: 5 jumping jacks, 4 knee bends, 3 squats, 4 tumbles, etc. When the object is found, you engage in the activity. You can also substitute Yoga poses for activities!
I have to be honest, after my son asked Alexa the question, I was hoping against hope that she would answer, taking us off the hook. Of course, she said, “I don’t know what you mean,” and we were left to our own devices. When his dark brown eyes looked towards me for a response, I said, “Honey, I want you to visit with your friends too. And, I promise that when we can do it and make sure everybody stays safe, we will.” Placated for the moment, he said “Okay,” and rushed to the door to announce that the Paw Patrol would be coming for dinner.
Father, children's book critic, writer, judge, director, actor and amature photographer—together with his husband of 25 years—raising an energetic four-year old! "Parent is not just a noun, it's a verb. If you're ever in doubt as to what to do, substitute the word caregiver. It will steer you in the right direction."
Parents everywhere are finding themselves in a new role as their child’s teacher. One of these parents is Kristen Bell who is homeschooling her two daughters with husband, Dax Shepard. Bell posted a totally relatable picture of what distance learning looks like.
A post shared by kristen bell (@kristenanniebell) on
“Homeschool’s going okay,” Bell captioned the post.
In the picture Bell is seated at a table with a laptop, schoolwork and various snacks spread out in front of her. One daughter is sitting next to her while the other is climbing on her shoulder. To top it off, her dog is sitting in her lap.
Many parents connected with the posts and commented that they were having the same experience at their homes.
Close to half-million babies have been born under quarantine in the U.S. New parents are experiencing a new set of unexpected challenges while they need to remain in their homes. Facebook is debuting the new Parent Resource Hub to offer support during this time.
Now parents have the opportunity to connect to the resources they need to take care of all the challenges that come with navigating through the COVID-19 crisis and beyond.
Whether it’s connecting to local businesses for home supplies through Messenger, expert tips from the World Health Organization on WhatsApp, joining community groups on Facebook or even a mindful break with live concerts & more from Instagram, the new Hub is giving parents an all-in-one place to find everything they need to stay connected.
Creating art is a great way to bring people together while spreading joy. BIC just launched the BIC 4-Color Garden. They are also encouraging people to use their pens to hand draw simple flowers and share online with #BIC4ColorGarden to help grow the BIC 4-Color Garden, which will live on the Instagram handle @BIC4ColorGarden.
Whether you are looking for a way to recognize our healthcare workers, brighten someone’s Mother’s Day, celebrate a loved one’s graduation or simply say “Thank You” for your support, a hand drawn flower is the perfect way to creatively stay connected and spread cheer during a time when we need it most.
Not only is doodling a natural stress reliever for those feeling cooped up, but for each flower drawing shared with #BIC4ColorGarden, BIC will donate $1 toward Kids In Need Foundation, up to $50,000 through July 1, 2020. This year, BIC also celebrates the 50th anniversary of its iconic BIC 4-Color pen, with an updated look and fresh new color – swapping out Green for Purple in response to consumer demand, and changing the barrel color to a deeper, more modern blue.
“As we navigate these unprecedented times, hand-written notes and drawings have become a great way to express ourselves and connect with those we’re separated from,” said Mary Fox, North American General Manager for BIC. “BIC is excited to build this virtual garden to help spread some cheer – from saying ‘thank you’ to brightening someone’s day. As Mother’s Day, graduations and other important spring milestones approach, sharing a hand-drawn flower from home is a simple way to celebrate family and friends.”
School looks different right now, but we want to show our appreciation to all of the teachers and support staff that are working extra hard to make sure our children are getting the most from this time at home. During Teacher Appreciation Week, Chance the Rapper will shine a light on teachers through “The Twilight Awards,” a special award show to recognize and thank teachers for all they do each and every day. Through three live broadcasts on Instagram, Chance the Rapper will surprise teachers with supplies, donations and more on behalf of Box Tops for Education to help them continue doing what they do best.
For more than 20 years, Box Tops for Education has been focused on helping families easily earn cash for schools. Since its inception, more than 70,000 schools have earned more than $934 million to fund supplies, field trips, playground equipment and more. Through “The Twilight Awards,” Chance will donate $300,000 directly to 10 deserving teachers and schools in need on behalf of Box Tops for Education. Teachers were selected by showing dedication, originality and creativity in helping their students thrive.
After donating $1 million dollars to Chicago Public Schools in 2017 and working with SocialWorks to create the “New Chance: Arts & Literature Fund,” Chance personally connected with teachers and principals while working inside Chicago schools. He quickly realized the need to both recognize and celebrate the work these educators do for students, their families and the community both inside and outside the classroom. To acknowledge and honor them, he developed the idea for “The Twilight Awards,” a national award show highlighting their dedication to students across the country.
“The Twilight Awards” will be broadcast live on Instagram at 7 p.m. CT on May 6, 7 and 8, 2020. Follow Chance the Rapper on Instagram to watch these special broadcasts and see which teachers Chance the Rapper surprises next.
To help teachers at your favorite schools earn even more, Box Tops for Education will offer Double Box Tops on all receipt scans from May 3-10, 2020. Limit 10 claims per receipt. Offer valid while supplies last up to $250,000 or until end of promotional period, whichever comes first.
Has my phone become an extension of my arm? Though I live in the jungle, we have wifi. Ordinarily, I’m fairly mindful of regular technology detoxes, but with a surplus of time at home right now, my use of devices has been magnified. A Facetime chat leads to an Instagram post, followed by a zoom call for work, then a photo texted to a friend, and, why not post that on Facebook too? Repeat. It’s an addictive hamster wheel.
The other day I noticed my 6-month-old son Zephyr watching me: fascinated with the device that consumes so much of my attention. If baby Zephyr could talk, he would probably ask, “Why can’t we just watch the trees? They’re far more interesting than that unnatural thing you’re always staring at.”
Right on little dude, I have much to learn from you! I reach for my phone to add a note about baby wisdom to my stickies app. No!!! I catch myself—again. Mama instinct is slowly kicking in; something is off and balance definitely needs to be restored.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful for WIFI and my devices. Personally, they’re helping me stay connected with the people that I love during this unusual time. Professionally, technology has made all the difference in managing/marketing my jungle lodge, not to mention launching my new book, Wildpreneurs.
That said, my device usage and dependence are getting way out of control.
A few days ago, I stumbled upon the term “digital wellness” in a book called Breathe to Succeed, by Sandy Abrams. Synchronicity? Though our social calendars have cleared, our headspace is being filled with infinite virtual opportunities. This is a blessing and a real challenge. During this stay-at-home period of time, we’re all Wildpreneurs—we’re adapting to unknown territory and making decisions about how to manage our time personally and professionally. With this new “normal” how will we manage our relationships with our devices?
Baby Zephyr’s simple observation has inspired our family to make a few shifts at home. Do you feel like your brain is being invaded by chronic virtual stimulation? If so, here are Zephyr’s seven simple tips for digital wellness:
1. Have a destination but enjoy the journey. We’re all trying to survive through this unusual time, and devices can be a very effective way to pass the time and stay connected. But they’re also a numbing force that pulls us away from the “right here, right now.” Regardless of the challenge we’re all facing, let’s not forget to notice the simple pleasures and beauty of the world around us. Despite the circumstances, life is happening now—we don’t want to miss it.
2. Practice the “Tree & Breathe” visualization. Wherever you are, find a tree (your phone is not invited to join this activity). Look at the tree and imagine it exhaling as you inhale. Breathe deeply and intentionally. This is a powerful visualization exercise that offers instant revitalization. “Shallow breath leads to shallow results,” says author Sandy Abrams. The next time you’re looking at your device, notice your breath. Is it shallow? Half breaths quickly clog up the mind and body, triggering a spiral of negative side effects. When was the last time you took a really deep breath? There is much out of our control right now but we can control our breath. Zephyr says visit trees and practice this visualization often.
3. Take mini field trips without the phone. Go to the back yard, on a walk, or even just wander to another room in your house. Leave your phone behind. If you live in a small space you might have to get creative. How can you explore your home and find a new perspective? Can you imagine your home through baby Zephyr’s eyes?
4. Recharge your device, recharge yourself. When you plug in your phone for a charge, use this as a prompt to take a mindfulness pause. Arianna Huffington, co-founder of the Huffington Post, suggests treating our bodies as we do our cell phones. “We’re all exquisitely aware of the recharging routine of our phones…And yet, on the flip side, with our bodies and our minds and our souls, we’ll run them right into the ground until the shutdown.” How do you recharge? Why not try a project/activity that is non-technology based…maybe spring cleaning or yoga?
5. Pick up an old fashioned pen and paper. Devices typically offer convenience for on the go. No need for that while we’re stuck in the house, we have plenty of time to do things the old-fashioned way. Why not revert to via pen and paper? What about a wall calendar or agenda book? Dust off your old journal and dive in.
6. Create a technology-free zone in the house. Zephyr has designated a specific area of our living room as a technology-free zone. This is Zephyr’s main play area—no devices allowed, presence, and mindful playtime only.
7. Do a digital detox for half the day. We originally tried to put our devices aside for a whole day and found that to be a bit tricky. Half-day digital detoxes are perfect for us and we’re making them a priority. Baby Zephyr loves it!!!!
My computer battery is running low and Zephyr is just waking up from his nap. It’s time to shut down, plug in my device, roll out my yoga mat, and practice happy baby pose with Zephyr as we look up at the trees. We’re sending jungle health (mind and body) your way!
Known as “The Jungle Mama”, Tamara Jacobi is the author of Wildpreneurs:A Guide for Turning Passion into Business (HarperCollins Leadership, Feb. 2020) and founder of the Tailwind Jungle Lodge on the Mexican Pacific. Tamara is loving the adventure of motherhood! Her son Zephyr was born on Oct, 2019.
