Even with lockdown restrictions hopefully beginning to ease soon, we will all still be spending a lot of our time at home over the course of the next few months. There are lots of ways we can all help at home to keep our families connected, remain safe and to generally stay healthy, both mentally and physically.
Below are some suggestions of things you can do to help in your home:
Help keep everyone connected
Your parents, grandparents or carers might not be comfortable using technology, so this may be an area in which you can provide some assistance. Use your knowledge to teach others how to use certain platforms or to guide them through setting it up for themselves. We’d suggest using Zoom to set up a virtual family quiz!
If you’re unsure, there are some great YouTube videos to help you understand various tools and platforms.
Help to spot scams
Unfortunately, it has been reported that the number of scams and fraud cases has risen during the coronavirus epidemic. With so many people using online platforms, it has become a way to take advantage of people and take their money. This means we all have to be extra cautious and to make sure any personal information we are giving out is to a reliable and trustworthy source.
You could help educate people in your family about the best ways to protect yourself online and avoid scams.
We recently posted a blog with some of the most common scams at the moment and how to keep yourself safe. You can read more here.
Help with essentials
If someone in your household has received a letter saying that they are in the 'shielding' or 'high risk' group, you could help to get them any essentials they might need by doing their food shopping or collecting their prescription.
It might be worthwhile thinking of the things they might need on a regular bases such as things to keep them busy or entertained like crosswords or books.
Encourage people to look after their health
Keeping ourselves healthy is one of the best things we can do right now, both mentally and physically. Making sure we eat nutritious foods, drink plenty of water and that we get enough exercise every day goes a long way in keeping us positive and well.
Encourage others in your household to join you for a home workout or cook a healthy meal with your sibling or parent.
You can check out our home workout ideas and resources here.
Try cooking
With some people still going out to work and others working from home, why not take a turn cooking a meal for everyone in your household?
Not only does this help out at home but it also teaches you something new and you might find you enjoy it!
There are loads of great tutorials and recipes online and on social media.
Some of our college lecturers even gave us some new recipes to try. You can find these on our blog.
Look after your pets
Pets need exercise too in order to keep them healthy and happy. If you have a dog, take them for a good long walk as often as you can and when you're stuck inside, try and keep your pets entertained by teaching them new tricks or playing with their favourite toys.
You can also help out with pet chores such as changing the cat's litter tray or feeding your pets.
Help siblings with schoolwork
If you have young siblings, you could help them with some schoolwork. Whilst this is not a fun activity, it could be really helpful and take the pressure off your parents.
Helping your siblings can also be a good way to refresh your memory and get back to basics. You never know, you may even learn something new!