How One Family Escaped to the Woods in Their Quarantine Cabin

Although my family and I didn’t actually have to quarantine because we weren’t exposed, we were trying to be a little bit safer when the shutdown was going on. My store was closed and my husband is a FedEx Driver, so I wanted to keep our kids and myself as healthy as possible since he was seeing so many people on his daily route. We had been inside our home in Nixa for I don’t even know how long, when all of a sudden, I asked myself, “Why aren’t we going to The Land?” My parents bought this property when I was around 20 [years old]. We’ve had amazing events down there, like my wedding. It has kind of a modern look, but it definitely has the country, relaxed feel as well. It is surrounded by tons of trees on lots of acreage. My dad installed zip lines that go from tree to tree, and there is also a four-wheeler. The very first day we went down there, we started feeling so free. We could do things and get out of the house and not have to worry about social distancing or anything. We binge-watched several Netflix series, which we would normally never do. We also usually don’t bake a lot, but my girls were interested in learning how. So, we looked up recipes and learned together. I guarantee you that staying at the cabin is going to be one of the things that they always remember

Stephanie's Social Distancing Survival Tips

Mandatory quarantine or not, here’s what you can do to keep your family safe and entertained at home this winter

1. Gather the Goods

Of course board games, snacks and baking supplies seem like no-brainers for a successful quarantine. However, Stephanie says not to overlook self-care items, even for your kids. For example, she made sure to pack nail polish and hair accessories so her girls could pamper themselves. 

2. Do Things You Normally Don’t Have Time to Do 

According to Stephanie, this doesn’t have to mean painting your cabinets or learning a second language. Instead, devote your time to doing enjoyable activities that aren’t necessarily productive.

3. Give Everyone Some Grace

“I kept having to remind myself that it was okay for my kids to not be learning every single second,” Stephanie says. “I had to relax and just let things be, and I allowed my kids to do what they wanted for the most part.”

4. Get a Change of Scenery, Even for Just a Few Days

Although you might not have a family cabin to whisk away to, there are other ways to safely social distance in an inspiring setting. Thanks to Airbnb’s new cleaning protocol for hosts, finding a remote and safe place to lounge for a weekend might be easier than you think.