I’ve got to get my sons and me out of the house! The pandemic quarantine takes its toll. I need some Pandemic Family Outing ideas. We got a bit of a mobility issue, so long hikes on the precious few Texas public lands are mostly out. We also have a growing Adolescent Apathy problem. And you can only go fishing so many times with the one son that will not go.
HELP!
I need a recreational therapist.
Please, Place any Pandemic Family Outing ideas in the comments below. The Ratliff Boyz would be most appreciative.
I love pointless road trips. I’m pretty sure I can convince the Boyz to set out on one. Post any Road Trip from Fort Worth in the comments below.
Ratliff Boyz Barriers to Treatment
- Dad maybe just a tad itsy bitsy teenie weenie smidge bit overweight.
- They’re experiencing some adolescent apathy.
- They live in North Texas.
- They live in North Texas.
I thought about a road trip to Cadillac Ranch. 
An eleven-hour round trip would be just a bit outside our range.
EMEDICE, CURA TEIPSUM
Okay, y’all, we all know there is more to that Latin aphorism, “Physician, heal thyself,” than just the surface interpretation to avoid hypocrisy by making sure you’re faultless before criticizing another. Physicians really can’t and shouldn’t treat themselves, nor should a 30-year veteran recreational therapist. I’m just too close to the situation.
That is the reason I ask for help.
An old-school recreational therapist, one I worked with 30 years ago back when it was “activity therapy,” posted on my Facebook page, making me laugh aloud. Here’s what he wrote:
Shave your hair off. Experiment with make-up. Challenge a 4-day no-deodorant contest to see who smells worst. Chew your toenails. Practice handstands and round-offs. Make plaster casts like the cops do. Do handandknee pyramids, rotate top person. Grab a 2-liter pop bottle and challenge each other to arm curls. Read the last chapter first of a new book. Make a mix-tape of only commercials. Write a letter to Progressive Insurance to dump Flo and Jamie. Same for the gecko lizard. See who can be the most annoying playing a musical instrument. If no instrument in the house, use armpit farts.
Hey Michael! I have some suggestions you could try. I’m from CO so I don’t know quite how things work down there in Texas. Here’s what I’ve got for you:
– Jackbox games you can play with the boys
– Flashlight tag
– Airbnb even if it’s close the change of scenery for the weekend will help
– Learn a new skill/game together (mine was playing chess)
– Virtual reality games
– Scavenger hunts
– Snow or water sports (not sure of the weather there)
– Kiwico (boxes for things the kids can create)
I hope one of these ideas are helpful to you. While not all of them involve being outside, they will break up the monotony of the Covid routine. I hope this helps you some.
Good ideas, Thank you. I’m so grateful for the comment. Were are all 1300+ chess players, and we play a lot of tabletop games. Please read my post on D&D. My sons are 17 and 16. I think it’s more about “cabin fever.” I don’t know northern Texas too well. I’m perplexed that I’m struggling with getting my sons and me out of the house after I’ve practicing recreational therapy for thirty years, leading outings in four different states, and getting all kinds of folks motived to go.
EMEDICE, CURA TEIPSUM
Hi, so I have a teenage son in north Texas as well…(and a toddler girl) my toddler would live outside if we let her, but to get my son outside we finally got him a basketball hoop…he loves to play that when outside watching his sister. We have had issues with video games being the main source of entertainment as well, but maybe like to ther post said…learning new hobbie together like “treasure hunting” investing in a cheaper metal detector or something, or bird watching may be boring, but make a game out of it who can spot the most types of birds get prize of choice…I know my son is super competitive and so are most kids in the teen range so making anything a competition might help, road trips to maybe corpus or beach area might work, Tulsa isn’t too far away has some cool attractions. Hope some of this helps, this pandemic is really hard on the kids ?
Amy! You understand my pain. It’s always a thousand times more difficult with your own family and yourself.
Go get lost. Really. Take a car trip where you make the first few decisions about direction to get the crew out into the boonies. Then the boys and you take turns deciding turn left, turn right or go straight at each intersection. No GPS allowed and no turning around allowed.
Best advice yet, Marji! Thank you. We haven’t played the “left, right, or straight” game in years when the boys were quite younger. I’m thinking your suggestion might be even better now that both are driving. Elias needs the hours. Cool, Thanks.
Hey, we live on the cusps of an area of Texas they call the “Quarter Horse Capital of the World.” Has your horse passion ever taken you to Parker County or Weatherford?