And we are still inside the house.  Sigh.  I know. Change.  Boredom.  The routine of no routine.  No break from the kids. Sheltering-in-place.  Home all day.  It’s all bad.  Or is it? 

There is no more perfect time, than right now, to make changes you’ve been wanting implement in your life.  This is built-in break is great for starting to rearrange, clean-house (literally and figuratively), and in general, make room for new beginnings. 

Thinking outside the box can help family gain a new perspective.  Photo by Diana Parkhouse Unsplash

We can either focus on what is lost and what is wrong, or you can choose to focus on the future and be optimistic about possibilities that can lay ahead.   This goes for relationships and relating too.  This is an opportunity to get out of the ruts of your normal interactions with your kids or your husband and try new ways to connect – or perhaps if you’ve been trying too hard, this may be a perfect time to put your focus elsewhere.

A break in routine, for a family, can also be a break in spending time together in the same ways you always have.  Too many sports, too many commitments and too little quality time.  It's also a time to self-reflect and be honest with yourself – you may find new positives about spending time in different ways with your children or yourself.

This is also a time for self-reflection.  How have your children changed?  What changes have you made that have made positive changes in your family, or what changes might need to be made?  Where might you need to set better boundaries, or perhaps where do you need to let your guard down to build a better community for yourself and your children?   

Do household rules need to start changing because children are growing up?  What household values need to be revisited or strengthened?  What difficult subjects might need to be discussed that have been put off because there hasn't "been enough time?"

Start thinking outside the box, while you’re busy living inside of it.  Who knows what the possibilities could be? 

“It’s not enough to think outside the box.  Thinking is passive.  Get used to acting outside the box.” -- Tim Feriss