5 Tips For Family Morale Right Now

Hey friends! We’re on day ten of self isolation at our house. Our locale hasn’t enacted any stay at home orders but both my husband and myself have the ability to work from home, our son’s college switched to e-learning, and our daughter is homeschooled so we’re calling this The Great Staycation of 2020. For any mother who knows what it is like to work from home, add in your husband being there 24/7 and the appetites of all your adult-ish kids and you know full well that the whole “Staycation” thing was said tongue in cheek. 😉

However, I am very grateful to have us all here. While it is considerably more work and somedays I do find myself frazzled, I’ve utilized some survival strategies that have kept a lot of peace in our home. I thought I’d share some of those with you today. These just might keep some of us out of prison so y’all pay attention now. 🙃

5 Tips For Family Morale Right Now

1. This is the most important and you probably saw it coming: Cultivate a positive attitude and never underestimate the influence your attitude has on those around you.  As a parent, you set the tone in your home and believe me, if you go the extra mile to make sure others start their day off right, the dividends of that small effort will return to you tenfold. How do I do this? I like to sing a song. No, I’m not kidding. My mother always had a song in the mornings. I just thought she was naturally a cheerful person. It is only now, at this point in history, that I am beginning to understand the effort it took to find a song some days. But she did. Have a teen who seems to always want to pick a fight, speak about sensitive topics, and thinks they’re right all the time? Here is a tip my mother gave me just this week that has proven to be pure gold. Whenever they come in the room, compliment them on something, anything. Mama says you have to look up real quick and make sure your compliment comes before their complaint. It takes them aback, disarms them, and wins them over to your side. Mama is a genius. 
2. Take a moment to look everyone in the eye when they speak to you. In this day and age we are distracted by everything, and this gets us in the habit of not giving anything our full attention. During these trying times, it is more important than ever that we value what has value – and that is people, relationships, our family. Not phones, twitter, and the internet. Living in close quarters can actually make some people feel overlooked and isolated with the whole family vying for airspace at the same time. Looking someone in the eye when they speak to you combats this by making them feel valued, appreciated, and heard. 
3. Get outside. This is crucial for mental health. If weather permits, I work out on the back porch most of the day, coming in only when I have to. Starting my work early allows me be ahead enough that I can pause when someone in my family comes out to join me for a chat. We sometimes take walks as a family or keep it old school and just hang out on the porch. 
4. Make one part of each day an event for everyone to look forward to. Whether it is a special supper that you announce in the morning so they can look forward to it, family game night, or everyone’s favorite movie, try to find time each day to set apart as special so that everyone has something to look forward to.
5. Keep your perspective. A lot of folks are taking hits in a lot of different ways with this. Remember you’re not alone. The entire world is going through this and we are all in this together. There will be a new day. We will eventually come out on the other side, and we will rebuild what we can together. The wisest thing we can do is to recognize that the rebuilding has already begun. Wanna be part of the construction crew? Put on a smile and encourage one another.

And lastly, remember, happy people are not happy because life is perfect for them. They are happy because they make the choice to be.