15 Home Ideas for Parents

As the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic continues, this article provides 15 Home Ideas for Parents to keep active at home.

This article is dedicated to parents.  For those looking for articles focused on the kids, please see 15 Home Kid Activity Ideas.

Large parts of the US have been put under ‘shelter-at-home’ order meaning limiting travel, public gatherings and only going out for essentials like groceries.

As COVID-19 infections continue to increase across the US, I encourage all to follow the social distancing guidelines and stay at home.

With this in mind, here are 15 Home Ideas for Parents.

1. Set up Work area

For those that are able to work from home, it is essential to setup a work area.  This will allow you to avoid distractions and increase your productivity during business hours.

As a tip, we also set up a formal work area for my kid.  Thus, we are able to keep a close eye and motivate him to do activities between our meetings.

2. Create a schedule for the kids

The first few days of home schooling were rough.  We did not have a good system in place.  As a result, there was a lot of TV time to keep my kid occupied.  

To solve this, we set up a schedule similar to his school.  Amazingly, he followed the schedule rigorously completing his educational activities throughout the day.

3. FaceTime with Relatives

We are making an exception to my cardinal rule of no phones at dinner table.  This is the best time to Facetime both sets of grandparents.

The 5-10 minute FaceTime calls are something we all look forward to each night.

4. Update your Finances

In just 1 month, the stock market crashed over 30%.  This has erased all the stock market gains over the last 3-4 years.  As this article is being written, Congress is planning to release a $2 trillion relief plan to keep the economy afloat.

Since no one knows whether the pandemic will last 1 month, 6 months or longer in the US, you should revisit your finances.  

In the previous article (Strategies to manage your money), look to establish a budget and keep a deep emergency fund during these unprecedented times. 

I am not a financial advisor.  Seek professional advice if you need someone to help you with your current financial situation.

5. Work out

Like many of you, I had set out to lose weight as part of my 2020 New Years Resolution Goals. 

Now is as good as ever time to get into a routine.  Another plus is being able to closely control what you eat.  

There are tons of different ways to exercise. Spring has started – so go enjoy a jog with your kids.  If you are so fortunate to have a home gym like me, get on it!  

For ideas that require no equipment, please see article – 53 Bodyweight Exercises You Can Do at Home.

6. Spring Clean

Both my wife and I were able to get a jumpstart on cleaning both the indoors and outdoors.

This includes organizing areas we had neglected in the past like closets, the office, and store room.  

If you need motivation and guidance, check out the Marie Kondo series on Netflix.  Her specialty is helping people tidy up.

7. House Work & Decorate

My goals for our upcoming spring break “stay vacation” will be repainting a room, fixing random things, and helping my wife decorate the house.

It’ll be nice to give our house a fresh look and set it in working order.

8. Catch up on books

There are many options instead of visiting a library.  Think about going digital.  

Devices like the Amazon Kindle help you easily download and read books.  For me, I have an audible book subscription to listen to.  

9. Support your Local Restaurants 

Nearly all restaurants have temporarily closed or transitioned to a pick-up model.  Depending on your area, you may also still have food delivery options available like UberEats.

Think about supporting your local restaurants. These are extremely rough times for small businesses and their employees.

10. Retrain your kids

In the past, it was much easier as parents to do the simple things like hanging up the kid’s jacket and cleaning up their messes.

Now is the time to retrain your kids to do these activities themselves.

As another example, No TV Time until the toys are picked up in the family room.

11. Learn how to Cook

I started to learn how to cook late in life due to being spoiled by my mom and siblings who are awesome cooks and excel in baking.

Fortunately, there are tons of online sites such as Allreceipes.com to jumpstart your learning.

For those looking for super easy meals, see my personal favorites (Top 5 best healthy and quick meals).

I am also eager to fire up the grill and start the BBQ season early.

12. Outside Activities

This is a perfect time to explore the walking paths around the neighborhood.

Not to be a downer, please be careful to avoid playgrounds and to limit playdates as stated in this CNN article (Parents: Take social distancing seriously and limit playdates, other activities, experts say). 

This should not stop outdoor activities like biking, and playing sports together with your kids.

13. Online Activities

Movies

We have subscribed to many streaming services like Disney+, Netflix and Amazon Prime.  That did not stop us in the past to rent DVDs from Redbox to see the latest and greatest movies.

Consider renting movies online from AppleTV or Amazon.  These sites charge $4-$6 for 48 hour rental.

Virtual Visits around the World

Looking for something different?  You can do virtual visits to places like museums, zoos and theme parks now.  Met Opera is also allowing people to stream performances for free.

14. Shop until you virtually drop

This is my wife’s favorite activity.  In the past, she loved bringing the kids to Target, Michaels and other places.

I recently checked with my relative who is an expert online shopper. She mentioned there are good deals out there, but not yet great.

However the perfect storm is brewing. Stores have too much inventory and huge discounts are on its way according to this CNN article.  

Prepare mentally and get ready to shop until you virtually drop!

15. Quality Family Time

As a glass half-full person, this pandemic has also provided us the opportunity to share more quality family time together.  

Although I do miss our typical weekends of birthdays, social activities and sports, it is nice for life to slow down in the short-term.

For ideas of what you can do together with the kids, please see 15 Home Kid Activity Ideas.

Summary

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt our lives and keep us at home, this article provided 15 Home Ideas for Parents.  

Please share any other parent ideas with this audience. Stay safe!

About DadMBA: Through his schooling (he does have a MBA) & more importantly being a Dad, he has provided practical advice to family & friends on finances & other life topics.  He loves helping others thus the creation of DadMBA.