16 Apr 5 Ways To Keep Peace With Your Family During This Difficult Time
By: Denise Servin, M. Ed., LPC Intern
Family time is great. The benefits are endless. It can be a little complicated to coordinate schedules. It can also be a challenge to find activities to make everyone happy. Sometimes you have to get creative. What happens when you find yourself having to organize long-term family time? Things can get tricky when you are all stuck at home together for longer than you might normally be. At first, you think, “This will be great! We can finally spend some time together. Nobody gets to say no. Ha!” But, eventually (maybe even a few days in) your happy campers start to grumble and complain. You start to realize that your sweet kiddos are close to fighting with each other. Maybe they will even get together and stage a rebellion? Oops! 
How do you keep the peace when taking a break from each other is not an option? First, you need to take a deep breath and a sip of coffee. You can do this!
5 WAYS TO KEEP THE PEACE IN YOUR FAMILY WHEN YOU’RE STUCK AT HOME…TOGETHER
Take care of yourself.
It is dangerously easy to slip into a pattern of making sure everybody else is okay and ignoring your own needs. This does not help you or your family. We talk about self-care all the time. But, it is even more necessary when you are dealing with the needs of others. Does taking even a quick break not sound very realistic to you? Try this: You. Alone in the bathroom. Lock the door. 10 minutes. In that amount of time you can do a quick meditation. You can listen to a couple of your favorite songs and have a quick solo dance party. You can have a (quick) uninterrupted cup of coffee. Note: If you do not have adequate supervision for your kiddos to allow you to do this, try doing this during nap time or just after they fall asleep for the night. Don’t forget that being the amazing parent and person you are requires breaks and replenishment.
Get creative!
Art is always a good idea. Remember, there are no rules or judgement here. Do what you can with what you have. Try to keep everyone to one area while you’re doing this, if you can. Your future self, who has to handle clean-up, will thank you later. Try crayons, paper, glue, glitter, or even old magazines or books you don’t care about. Also, know when it’s time to call it quits. Art will only keep them content for so long. You know your kids best. When you start to see signs that they are losing interest, start the cleanup party. Another fun option is learning something new. It doesn’t have to be complicated like learning a new language. Again, you know your kids best.
Burn off the excess energy.
Does it feel like your kids have more energy than you ever remember having? It helps to have some specific time set aside for physical activity. This way, you can make sure that everybody is moving at some point. Throw a dance party. Do a family workout. Even if you can’t seem to get them to focus on a specific activity, they are sure to get a kick out whatever you’re doing. And laughter is always good.
Find different ways to do things together.
Find an easy recipe that you can modify to allow all ages to take part. The older kids can help with the more complicated stuff. The younger kids will be excited just to be involved. You can also initiate family movie nights. Rotate who gets to pick the movie to avoid arguments. Also, have clear rules for the movie night picks based on whatever you are comfortable with your kids watching.
Find time to talk and listen.
If you have some family members who are consistently showing signs of anxiety or depression, ask them what’s on their mind. And, of course, listen. This is an uncertain time. Our minds can be a scary place to have a bunch of new, confusing information. Do what you can to be supportive. Encourage them to let their feelings out and to take part in some of these things. If they refuse or their feelings of anxiety and depression get worse, they may benefit from therapy.
Begin Family Therapy in Katy, TX
The therapists at Locke Counseling and Consulting are currently offering face to face and Telehealth sessions. Talking to a therapist can help decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression and provide you with ways to increase self-care during these uncertain times. If you or your children need help at this time dealing with anxiety, depression, or any issue you are facing, please contact the therapy office or Denise today.
Other Services at Locke Counseling and Consulting
Locke Counseling and Consulting specializes in couples counseling in Katy, Texas. In addition to couples counseling, Locke Counseling and Counseling provides counseling services for: depression, anxiety, divorce recovery, infidelity, sexual health and intimacy, and parenting.