Since the outbreak has basically shut our lives down, we have all spent a lot of time at home, sequestered with the ones we love. My family has passed the time with varying degrees of civility, depending on the day. And while in the beginning, there was a euphoria that came with being resourceful about staying connected to friends and family and a sense of accomplishment finding creative ways to pass the time, a few weeks in we started to lose steam. Now, 11? 12? 13 weeks later, we’re all sick of just about everything.
That’s because the one thing missing from life is variety. Quarantine life feels like Groundhog Day. So if you’re finding yourself totally sick of the quarantine past times you used to find charming, you’re not alone. We’re all SO OVER these nine things:
Zoom calls
The idea of scheduling a call and “seeing” friends and family was super fun for about a week. Then the Zoom atrophy set in. That’s because Zoom calls always come with the inevitable person, usually a relative, who can’t figure out how to click on the link, turn on his camera, or set the camera so his face is actually visible. They feel like tech calls with people interrupting each other on camera. I’m going back to “olden times” when you picked up the phone or sent a text to connect with a friend.
Drive-by birthday parties
The drive-by birthday party idea was really cute and now it has to stop. That’s because they’re incredibly hard on all the kids who inevitably leave in tears because the closest they got to a friend was waving through the sunroof of Mom’s SUV.
All the baking
In the 10-plus weeks I’ve been stuck at home, I’ve baked everything from warm chocolate cake to buttermilk blueberry pie. It all sounds delicious, but eventually it’s just annoying. Because after baking comes cleaning up, which always seems to be done only by Mom.
Walks
While I appreciate some finding the joy in taking a stroll through the neighborhood, walking the same streets every day gets boring. My kids have started calling our walks “The Walk To Nowhere,” which just about sums it up.
Family movie nights
During our time in quarantine, my family and I have cycled through what seems like an entire Netflix queue, anything appropriate on Amazon Prime and we’re getting close to finishing off Disney Plus. I’m grateful for the myriad of offerings, but am so over watching kids' shows. Now if only I could get my kids to watch the Real Housewives, we could all be happy.
So many screens
Before quarantine, my husband and I were pretty regimented about how much time our kids spent on screens. Now it’s a screen free-for-all mainly because I have no great suggestions for other ways to pass the time.
Cooking
Quarantine wouldn’t be quite as boring if I didn’t have to also cook more meals than a short-order cook. Every time I finish making and cleaning up one meal, it seems like it’s time for the next. Next time there’s a pandemic, I’m quarantining with Ina Garten.
Game nights
Exploding Kittens and Spot It are fun games the first 3,000 times you play, but I swear I’ve played Uno more times than a sane person should. And by the way, I never win.
Sweatpants
Three months into being home and it’s safe to say that me and my sweats need to start seeing other people. I’m even tired of seeing me in the same outfit. But with nowhere to go, why hassle with real clothes?
So while we all may be sick of the same things, at least we’re not sick. Staying at home may be mind-numbingly boring, but at least we're all in this together.
