How to Survive Your Parents Now That You’re Back Home For Coronavirus

[dropcap size=small]C[/dropcap]olleges across the nation have switched to remote learning due to the overwhelming spread of Coronavirus. If you lived on your college campus and you were just starting to get used to the spring semester freedom away from home, here is a list of things you can do to survive your parents during quarantine. These activities will help you stay busy and productive so that you do not feel so inclined to have to hang out with your family the entire time we are all encouraged to stay indoors.

1. Keeping Up With Your Online School Work

This activity, or should I say obligation, will not only keep you up to date with your assignments and help you maintain a good grade point average but it will also make your parents proud. If you are spending too much time around your family and you need time to yourself, the perfect excuse to get your parents off your back is to simply say, “I have some work I need to do”. You can use this for any situation and it will allow you some personal time away from your nagging family to think on your own. It is important to stay on top of your academics during these times because when there are no classes to attend physically, you can easily forget when assignments are due.

2. Video Chat Friends

Whether it is FaceTime, Google Duo, HouseParty, or even Zoom, video chatting with your friends is a great way to stay in touch with them while staying home because of the Coronavirus. This can be an outlet to complain about your parents without getting into trouble with them. If your parents need you for something you can tell them you are on the phone with someone. Or you might even introduce your friends from college that your parents may not have met.

3. Netflix Party and Chill

Netflix Party is a Chrome extension that allows users to chat and watch movies together while apart. This cool new feature is a great way to remain social and stop the spread of Coronavirus by switching to remote movie nights. To use Netflix Party, first, you must pull up Netflix using Chrome. Next, you choose your desired movie or television show and create the party by clicking on the “NP” icon next to the address bar. Finally, you start the party and share the URL with all of your friends!

4. Update Your Music Playlists

Are you tired of listening to the same playlists over and over? Now that Coronavirus has scared every college kid back home, you have plenty of time to find and add new music to any existing playlists that you have. Whether you are making completely new playlists or updating old ones, this method is a great activity to keep your mind off of the fact that you are trapped in your house with your parents. It feels like high school again. Maybe revisit some music you listened to while in high school and vibe out to some nostalgic tunes you previously enjoyed. Anything to get the dopamine flowing is worth your time while in quarantine.

5. Organize Your Room

Not only is this method a form of meditation that will clear your head, but it will also please your parents that you are maintaining a clean room. It will keep them off your back and give them one less thing to bother you about. If you have not been home in a while, coming back to your old room is probably a strange feeling. In order to make it feel like home again, you can also rearrange the furniture in your room. This will give you something to do while social distancing and also a fresh start to this Coronavirus era.

6. Watch a Family Feature

Watching a movie with your family will not only bring you together during these tough times but will also provide entertainment to the whole household. This is a great way to survive your parents while stuck at home due to Coronavirus because you can bond with them. If you do not have anything to talk about with your parents, you can chat about the movie you just watched together. This will make them happy because they probably missed you while you were away at college.

7. Start Spring Cleaning Early

Spring is right around the corner. The temperatures are changing and unfortunately, we are recommended to stay home. This is perfect for a spring cleaning session of the house! Sure, this might be something you have been avoiding thinking about all winter, but now is a great time to keep yourself busy while being productive.

8. Go On a Walk

Although we are supposed to be social distancing, the CDC recommends that we go on a walk every once in a while. It is important to exercise and acquire enough daily Vitamin D from the sunlight to stay healthy. This is a great way to get out of the house for a little while and clear your head but make sure you stay six feet away from any strangers to prevent Coronavirus from spreading.

9. Online Shop

Now that all businesses and stores have shut down due to Coronavirus, shopping online is your only option to indulge in some retail therapy. This activity might not be your parent’s favorite depending on whose money you are spending. Consider using your own money especially if your parents have lost their jobs recently thanks to the nationwide recommendation to self-quarantine.

10. Get Creative

Drawing, painting, playing instruments, and any form of creativity is not only therapeutic but it is also fun! If you are not a fan of drawing or painting, consider cutting up magazine pages and creating an interesting collage. This takes no skill at all, other than being able to use scissors and glue. You can even include your family in on the fun to bond over your Coronavirus creations. If you are a musical person, you can jam out by yourself in your room or have a jam session with the whole family. This would make for a fun and peaceful activity because it is difficult to be upset when there is music playing.