What To Do At Home During Community Quarantine, According To Our Hip & Happening Moms

It's only been a few days since Luzon was placed under enhanced community quarantine (some areas have been declared under extreme enhanced community quarantine) due to the rapidly increasing COVID-19 cases in the Philippines. The question on people's minds now—parents, especially—is "what to do at home?" 

Thinking and coming up with activities to educate and entertain the kids even during weekends can be challenging as it is, so you can just imagine how creative, resourceful, and innovative parents now must be to ensure the whole month of quarantine will still be fun, productive, and meaningful for the whole family. 

For a lot of parents now, like Bianca Elizalde and Bianca Gonzalez-Intal, homeschooling is key and whatever the medium may be, it's important to consistently think of ways to engage the kids and pique their interest.

Below, we asked our Hip & Happening moms for their recommendation on how to maximize this time at home with the kids:

Mikaela Lagdameo-Martinez

"It’s been about going back to basics and getting creative with what we have at home. With homeschooling, my kids take turns in helping each other with their work. We got to identify their strengths, but it was also an opportunity to see what needs more attention and work as well.  We also try to balance it with other fun things, like the other day, I taught them old-school games like langit-lupa and agawan base! Why did it take me so long to teach it to them? This was so much a part of my childhood. They loved it! Exercising has also become a daily thing now. We also turned to doing art activities. For instance, recycling materials like old magazines etc and finding ways to make them to turn them into useful pieces of art."

READ: Nipple Gels, Daytime Naps, And Other Tips From #MetroMom Mikaela Lagdameo-Martinez

Vanna Garcia-Kaw 

"I will be doing a lot of working out to pass the time. Also, lining up activities with the kids while we're at home, like cooking and sports and other games. We also have a ton of homework from school to finish. I will also be doing a lot of cleaning up and de-cluttering and organizing like many people are doing now since it is the perfect opportunity. We are all hoping this situation pacifies soon."

READ: Metro.Style #HipAndHappeningMoms 2019: Vanna Garcia-Kaw

Shari Poquiz

"Right now, we are trying to get used to home school learning which is all coursed through an iPad. But the most important lesson of all is the lesson on empathy, especially in the midst of this global pandemic. I take this time to teach my daughter the importance of giving, donating, and helping out."

READ: These Mom Bloggers Share Their Tips On How To Style—And Take!—Your Kids' OOTDs

Vanessa Matsunaga-Sunga

"We were at the beach when the announcement was made, so we decided to stay here. I’m taking this opportunity to teach my children how to swim. We are also introducing them to a lot of nature and teaching them how to respect and take care of the environment. It's also a good time to teach them the importance of food and not to be picky about it. It’s only been a couple of days but I noticed that they are actually becoming more creative in terms of play since they don’t have much toys here. As a family, we are taking it a day at a time, with the perspective of not making this temporary situation a wasted opportunity. I think the possibilities are endless if we adapt this perspective for the next couple of weeks, don’t you think ?"

READ: Metro.Style #HipAndHappeningMoms 2019: Vanessa Matsunaga-Sunga

Fatima Rabago

"I’m actually doing all the chores in the house that I was delaying due to lack of time. We are baking and cooking together with my daughter—pizza night one day, banana bread other day, chocolate sweet the next one—and we are also doing school assignments since she didn’t finish school yet. We are watching movies together but the truth is, we haven’t changed much of our routine since we usually have this kind of lifestyle. We always rather stay home than outside."

READ: The Mindset To Being A Successful Mompreneur, According To Fatima Rabago

Nikka Martinez-Garcia

"I’ve prepared a schedule for my kids to keep them busy, tackling different subjects as well as trying out various methods of learning depending on my child. My husband and I are very intentional and involved from day 1, so we find this quite fun, making us closer to each other during this time."

READ: Meet These Hip And Happening Moms Of Instagram: The Bump Squad

Jackie Go

"We’re doing a bit of a schedule so the kids won’t be glued to their gadgets/TV the whole day. They help me with chores (fix their bed, prep food, and clean, to name a few), and we’ve been playing board games the past few days. We also allot an hour or two to read a book and by tomorrow, I will encourage them to workout with me."

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