KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Families across the U.S. and Kansas City are wondering what to do at home since schools are closed, some for the remainder of the school year, due to COVID-19.
Before Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announced that schools in the state would close for the rest of the year, parents were worried about handling their children for a few weeks.
"I mean, none of us were really prepared for this," said Karen Arokiasamy, an Overland Park mother of a 9-year-old boy.
Doctors are telling parents to stop holding play dates and not to go to places with high volumes of people. On Monday, President Donald Trump encouraged limiting social gatherings to 10 people or less.
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With many families at home together, parents are looking to websites to find activities to keep their children occupied.
"We have been exploring science kits, we have some gemstone-digging kits that we are going to work on," said Jollene Hastings, a mother of two.
Other families, including some who were planning to be on spring break this week, are now spending some extra time together at home.
"This is our actual spring break. So, we are treating it like it's spring break," Arokiasamy said. "We are staying up late and we are eating whenever and playing all the games."
She's also still making sure her son is learning in the meantime.
"We have another invention kit we get to do," Arokiasamy said.
Hastings had this advice for fellow parents on how to keep their kids busy.
"It's great to be prepared of a list of things to do," Hastings said. "I have seen a lot of colored-coded schedules that are very ambitious, but at the same time, I think you are going to be more sane and a happier mom if you can just give yourself grace and give yourself realistic expectations."
Despite the disappointment of the stay-at-home spring break, both moms know it's for a good reason.
"I think there is going to be a lot of good in it. I hate there are so many people sick, and obviously nobody wanted this. But I think we can all look for silver linings," Arokiasamy said.
For a list of suggested activities for children, click here.
