Who says you can’t take your kids on an adventure while staying indoors?
One Kentucky dad is getting creative with homeschooling while self-quarantining during the coronavirus outbreak.
Matt Nestheide, a contract analyst, has dressed up as a mad scientist, fitness instructor and even a BobRoss impersonator to teach his three girls -- Cole, 8, Sydney, 6, and Mila, 3 -- a different life lesson each day while their schools closed.
“[Their] routines have obviously gotten thrown out the window, so we wanted to just have a little bit of fun and a little bit of lightheartedness as we started our days,” said Nestheide, noting it started as a one-off. “I told my wife on Sunday night, ‘I think I’m just going to throw on a suit on Monday morning and just walk upstairs and act like a principal or a teacher.’ I did it and the girls were cracking up and laughing. They really enjoyed it. So I thought, ‘Alright, maybe I should think about doing something different tomorrow.' It just kind of snowballed from there.”
The surprise costumes have added joy to their mornings, he said. The family of five has been self-isolating at home for about two weeks because their youngest daughter is immunocompromised, Nestheide told “GMA.”
“We’re cautious. Our youngest, Mila, has a congenital heart defect, so [she’s in] the at-risk immunocompromised population,” said Nestheide. “Obviously we’re doing everything that we can to keep her healthy and keep all the kids healthy. We’re trying to be appropriately cautious, yet optimistic.”
So far, Nestheide has been a principal, a gym teacher, a science professor, a wakeboarder and Bob Ross. His wife, Traci, is sharing the photos on Facebook, where they have earned online praise.
Nestheide was told to work from home and like many parents across the country is juggling work and being a teacher and caregiver all at the same time. Nestheide's advice for other parents who may be feeling overwhelmed right now is that patience and being a “goofball” can go a long way.
“Traci and I, we’re juggling a lot as parents right now. So first, we have to be patient with each other and to show each other grace. We can’t control what’s going on out there, but we can control our attitude,” said Nestheide. “[Second], don’t be afraid to look like a goofball! I can see [my kids’] faces literally light up. They laugh and they start imagining things and pretending.”
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