Actress Sarah Michelle Gellar has always been an inspiring celebrity parent, but she's really risen to the occasion while we've all been staying home. Nearly every day, she posts helpful #Quarantips for parents to help us entertain our kids, de-stress while parenting, and get work done around the house in a fun manner.
SMG knows her stuff. She's raising her 11-year-old daughter, Charlotte, and 8-year-old son, Rocky, with her husband, fellow actor Freddie Prinze Jr. Basically, she feels our pain at being stuck at home all day with little ones, and she's doing her best to help keep us all sane during this tough time. Here's some of her best #Quarantips to survive sheltering in place with the kiddos, ranked.
Don't drink and mom
Sarah poked fun at how often kids yell for their parents with this #Quarantip to play a companion drinking game. Every time a kid shouts, "Mom!" take a drink. "No wait, don't do that. You'll die," she joked. It definitely would make for a dangerous game, but the video is a fun reminder that we're not alone in having our children holler for us all day long.
Get that bedazzler out
"Keep it safe, but keep it fun!!" Sarah captioned this photo of her wearing a mask with a bedazzled pair of lips on it. In all of her videos, Sarah's stay-at-home style has been so cute. We're not surprised that she has fashionable and functional masks too. Isolation is less boring when we can have fun with what we wear.
Kids can socially distance from moms
Sometimes, us moms just need a break, and SMG took Mother's Day as hers. She joked that parents can teach their kids about social distancing by … socially distancing from them. Mother's Day may be over, but it's never too late to teach the little ones about staying 6 feet away from us — even if just for a little while.
Jeans still need love
Now that many of us are home all day, it's easy to fall into a sweats and leggings-only pattern. They're so comfy. But Sarah recommends putting on a pair of jeans for a change. It'll feel so dressed up, it'll be like going to a wedding. Yep, that's how formal we are these days.
Jeans feel dressy.
Keep bread fresh
SMG has a great tip for moms who need to keep sandwich bread fresh for longer: Just stick a celery stalk in with the loaf — or eat the bread faster and save the celery for a bloody mary. Both great options, but with the second one we get more bread and a cocktail: a win-win.
Remembering Saturdays
Who even knows what day it is anymore? Sarah suggests that parents teach kids about the days of old with a history lesson about what Saturdays were. Since we don't really have official weeks or weekends anymore, Saturdays have lost all real sense of meaning these days.
Indoor hiding spots
Nearly everyone's hall closet could probably use a good cleaning out, and now is the perfect time to do that. Not only will we then have a fresh, organized space, but we'll also have a new spot to hide. Since we're unable to ever leave our houses these days, indoor hiding spots are key for getting away from the kids for a minute.
Daily dose of vitamin C
There's no disputing that vitamin C is a great part of any diet, so why not make getting vitamin C even more fun? As SMG points out, mimosas are filled with a large portion of our daily dose and they come with the added bonus of champagne. Start the day off right with a glass.
Embarrass the kids
Sarah lamented that because of the stay-at-home order, she's running out of ways to publicly embarrass her kids. She decided the next-best thing would be to dye her hair pink. "Quarancolor," she joked. If her intention was to embarass, though, she missed the mark. It's so cute!
'Wax on, wax off' the windows!
Have bored kids? Teach them karate in the Karate Kid style. Have them "wax on, wax off" on the windows, car, or even the floor. Not only will the kids be entertained for a while, but the house will be absolutely gleaming in no time. It's a win-win for everyone involved, especially parents.
Count the days using baking products
Many of us have been indoors for a month or two by this point, and it can be kind of depressing to count each passing day that we still don't get to go outside. Sarah recommends counting via baking products instead. For example, the actress has been inside for "three banana breads and two batches of cookies," which sounds way more fun than "42 days."
Have the kiddos learn their ABCs by organizing books
Have little ones at home? SMG suggests teaching them the ABCs by having them organize the bookshelves. They'll learn an important education building block, and we'll all have super organized shelves without having to do any of the work ourselves. That's one seriously helpful tip.
Indoor ice skating
When her kids started getting restless, SMG created an indoor ice skating activity by putting Swiffer pads on her kids' feet. Then she set them loose in the house. They had fun playing around, and Sarah got her floors cleaned. There are so many ways to double up on cleaning and learning/having fun while we're at home.
Play hide and seek ... but don't try to find the kids
This is another tip for parents who just need a moment of peace and quiet. Play hide and seek with the kids … only don't try to find them. Sarah says hers can stay hidden about 30 minutes before they realize that mom isn't actually playing. That's half an hour of freedom while also knowing that the kids are safe and having fun.
Turn on those subtitles
We're all watching more TV than usual these days it seems, but we can make that educational. If we just turn on the subtitles, then we can say that our kids spent the whole day reading! "Grown-ups, this will also make you appear very smart and literate to your friends," Sarah added.
Elf on the Shelf didn't survive
All of Sarah's tips have been golden, but this is the best one by far. "Use this time wisely," she cautions parents. "Don’t forget to tell your kids the tragic news that Elf on the Shelf did not survive [this tumultuous time]. You’re welcome." Elf on the Shelf has become a lot of work, as many parents feel like they have to do new, creative things with the mischievous elf each night. This is our chance to set ourselves free from this holiday "tradition" that was really just invented out of nowhere a handful of years ago to torture us all.