10 Tips For Sheltering In Place and Growing On The Inside
MIDTOWN
PARENT
RESOURCES
Midtown Parents and Volunteers can benefit from resources we have compiled below.
For additional support, or to provide further resource suggestions, contact:
Midtown Parent Program Director Diego De La Rosa at
ddelarosa@midotwn-metro.org |
773-292-2600 extension 235
+ Coping With Staying Home
- Create a Daily Schedule with this schedule template
- How to work from home and live family life well when kids are in the house and when your spouse is in the house
- Tips from St. Josemaría, the person who inspired people to start Midtown in 1965, on getting along with others
- Tips to improve your mental health today and always
- This astronaut spent a year in space and has some tips on handling isolation in a healthy way
- This 30 minute prayerful talk given by a Catholic priest is about maintaining a daily routine for spiritual and mental health
+ Coping With Being Out Of Work
- Information about unemployment benefits, rent relief, TANF, SNAP, Medicaid and more is available here
- Resources for unemployment benefits, jobs applications, food security, Internet access, and more available on this spreadsheet created by our Forefront partners. Spreadsheet will be updated each Saturday.
- How to get free meals for your children while Chicago Public Schools are closed
+ Spiritual Nourishment
- Participate in Daily or Sunday Holy Mass online. These tips might help you benefit more from this opportunity to pray with others through the Internet
- Practice Christian Meditation and Mindfulness with a 3 month free trial from the Hallow App
- Practice Christian Contemplative Prayer with free 10 minutes with Jesus talks given by Catholic priests. ¡Charlas disponibles en Español!
- Relevant Radio offers an abundance of programs, prayers and resources. ¡También disponible en Español!
+ Getting Exercise
- Experts at the Mayo Clinic explain why exercise is a great form of stress relief
- Nerdfitness offers a comprehensive guide to exercising at home without any gym equipment. Great for the whole family!
- Art Of Manliness offers a deep library of Bodyweight exercises. Great for teenage boys!
+ Managing Technology In The House
Midtown recommends limiting the amount of time spent using a computer, phone, or TV screen outside of work and educational uses, especially during these days when we may feel bored and stressed. Set limits that work for you and your family (perhaps no more than one or two hours a day), and decide together as a family what kinds of things you will allow on your screens.
- Enjoy this Podcast from an experienced educator at The Heights about inspiring boys and young men to use technology in a virtuous way
- Here are some helpful how-to guides for managing your sons' technology:
a. Common Sense Media, a comprehensive parents' guide to Fortnie, TikTok, Snapchat, etc. ¡También disponible en Español!
b. Advice on taking control of your devices from the Center for Human Technology
c. Guide to Playstation 4 Parental Controls. ¡También disponible en Español!
d. Guide to Xbox One Child Accounts
e. Guide to Nintendo Switch Parental Controls. ¡También disponible en Español!"
+ Games For The Family
- Ideas about Game Apps for the whole family are available here
+ Movies For The Family
- Reviews of Popular films for the whole family are available at Mercatornet. Reviews and criticisms at this site have a Christian point of view
- A list of recommended movies for High School students is available o the ClubExcel website
A Life Plan For Midtown Students During Shelter-In-Place
MIDTOWN
STUDENT
RESOURCES
Midtown Students and Volunteers can find many ideas to spend their time in healthy ways with the resources we have compiled below. Midtown Program Directors are encouraging Midtown Students to use specific resources at specific times.
For additional support, or to provide further resource suggestions, contact:
Midtown ONE Program Director Diego De La Rosa at
ddelarosa@midotwn-metro.org |
773-292-2600 extension 235
Midtown MAP Program Director Carlos Martinez at
cmartinez@midtown-metro.org |
773-292-2600 extension 239
Midtown COP Program Director Gabriel Avalos at
gavalos@midtown-metro.org |
773-292-2600 extension 223
+ Virtual Tours of Museums and National Parks
- Explore the National Air And Space Museum online
- Check out fun thngs to explore at the Smithsonianian
- Visit the National Gallery of Art from your computer
- Check out these six virtual tours you can take from home. -USA Today
- Tour these twelve world class museums online
- Explore the world's wonders at Google Arts and Culture
- See the wonders of the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel
+ Activities To Do On Your Own
- Write old-fashioned (on paper!) letters to family and friends
- Write thank-you notes to people who went out of their way for you, or write anonymous thank-you notes to doctors and nurses
- Draw, write, record, something creative on paper or computer. Paint 3D is free
- Make a list of things for which you are grateful
- Use Skype, FaceTime, Google Hangouts or Marco Polo to video chat with your long-distance friends
- Meditate. Try lying down with your eyes closed, palms up and while focusing on your breath. Practice Christian Meditation and Mindfulness with a 3 month free trial from the Hallow App
- Read some of your favorite books or comics. See Recommended Reading Lists below
- Repeat positive affirmations 3 times out loud, for example:
a. I cherish the extra time I get to spend with my family and I am excited about creating more happy, unforgettable memories.
b. I focus on opportunities instead of obstacles.
c. I am grateful for our health and all the things we can do because we are healthy.
- Try exercises you can do at home without gym equipment from the Art Of Manliness website
+ Activities To Do With Your Family
- Bake those goods! Use this recipe finder to discover what you can make with what you have in the house, or try some recipes you might enjoy here and here
- Make your own podcast here
- Learn a new style of dance via YouTube
- Write a book with your family. Pick a character and each member writes a chapter about their adventures. Read aloud to each other
- Make lists of all the museums, sporting events and concerts you want to visit when they reopen
- Read together the Harry Potter series, with each family member reading a chapter out loud to the rest of the family. Finish each book in the series by watching the movie together, and discuss whether you like the book or movie better and why
- Go through your camera roll, pick your favorite pictures from the past year, and make a photo book or order framed versions online.
+ Keep Learning
GENERAL
- Free resources and curriculums at Scholastic Magazine
- Free curriculums and learning materials at Khan Academy
- Free worksheet quizzes and tests at Prepdog
- "Wow In The World" NPR Podcast for curious kids and their parents
- "But Why" NPR Podcast led by students for students
MATH AND SCIENCE
- Interactive Math and Science Simulations at University of Colorado
LANGUAGE ARTS
- Free Reading Games for Grades 2-8 at Squigglepark
- Read to Lead free reading games
SOCIAL STUDIES
- Free History Network For Kids at Historyforkids.net
- National Geographic For Kids has lots to explore
+ Read Your Way To Greatness
The Chicago Public Library lends e-books and audiobooks to patrons through an app called “Libby, by Overdrive” (search on your App Store and use your Chicago Public Library card to check out e-books and audiobooks).
Many classic books are available for free through Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, or the Gutenberg Project.
Try to choose books your find interesting so that you actually finish them! But at the same time try to seek books that will improve your reading skills and will nourish your spirit.
- Listen to free stories at Audible
- 50 books for young men at the Art of Manliness
- Recommended books for different age groups at Mercatornet (see the different age group links under "Our Picks For".