This pandemic has caused a lot of chaos for us all. From canceling fun school activities to working from home, we have all had to adjust to these new norms of our daily lives. Even though COVID-19 has affected our work life, it can actually help improve your home environment. Now that everyone is mostly indoors, your home has become an important space to connect with family and siblings during quarantine. This virus has caused a lot of stress, so taking some time to relax with your brother or sister is a great way to not only check up on their mental health, but spend some much-needed bonding time. My triplet sisters and I take advantage of any opportunity we have to wind down and enjoy each other’s company. One of our favorite activities is to play a good board game together. Our current favorite game is Sequence which is like a mixture of checker and cards. Trust me, it is not as boring as it sounds; our whole family is addicted to this challenging game! Normally my sisters and I like to play some Wii games on our TV, but we know it is important to stay off our screens if we have the chance. Honestly, we have all gotten so tired of sitting on our phones, so after my mom found Sequence at Target it helped us all get away from the buzzing of technology and enjoy a simple board game. It seems so obvious, but board games are definitely an amazing source of entertainment for all siblings while we endure these current challenges.

If your family or siblings do enjoy some screen time, a good old movie night is an amazing way to relax. By movie night, I don’t just mean sit down and put on an interesting film…make it fun! Cook up some homemade popcorn, grab some movie theater candy, and lay out some warm blankets or even make a fort. These all create a more enjoyable and cozy setting to connect with the ones you love. When my sisters are stressed or anxious from being cooped up in the house, I always recommend a movie night. They help our home feel comfortable and cozy, almost like we are in a real theater. We have been having so many movie nights in 2020 that my family and I have built our own at home theater in one of our extra rooms in our home. It has a concession stand, projector screen, and a rustic popcorn machine that really brings the whole space to life. We always end the day in the theater to relax from all the stressors this pandemic has given to all of us. You do not even need a theater to have an incredible movie night with your family; just using a space in your home to bundle up and have a great time together can really help both siblings and parents’ recharge.

Cooking a new dish, finding a fun craft, taking on a new hobby, or indulging in a great book series, are some of the many other activities you can enjoy with your brothers or sisters to make these times a little bit easier. Start enjoying quarantine by staying safe and healthy with your loved ones in an exciting way.