CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- People are learning a lot about themselves, their families, and even their pets during their forced extended time at home.
Laura Olsberg of West Dundee said she’s learned she’s very good at social distancing from neighbors, but “working from home in my temporary kitchen office has caused me to work longer hours. I always think I can get one more thing done and it never goes away.”
Vicky Kujawa said she learned her laundry backed up more than she thought it would.
John Dwyer said he and his wife are taking advantage of being together more.
“I signed up for one of those meal plans, so we make dinner three times a week and we have movie nights.”
Dwyer also said he took an online class on how to build a website and he’s playing his mandolin again.
And now that Nicole Hansen and her husband are both working from home, “the first thing I’ve learned about my husband is that he is very loud on phone calls, and so, apparently am I. I never knew that before which leads me to believe I may have been annoying co-workers for years without even realizing it.”
Peggy Nuccio is a substitute teacher in the western suburbs and said she’s learned how much she misses seeing students. She also said that being home she cooks so much now.
“I’m able to cook meals that I’ve never was able to cook when I was out of the house," she said.
Nuccio also said her college son staying-in-place in his apartment in Kentucky now calls her every day to tell her he loves her.
Melissa Hahn has a high schooler and two college-age sons home and has learned that Netflix goes out at the most inopportune times and that her boys eat a lot of food. She also said, “I have learned that my dogs really love attention all day long. I have learned that my WiFi is probably not up to speed with all of the devices now.”
Kristine Kappel said she’s learned her cats have a pretty nice life and take a lot of naps.
Pamela Johnson Howe is a homebody naturally, but said now that people are being told to stay home, “I want to go everywhere.”
Henry Torn said he now appreciates his wife more.
“I believe it’s the mothers out there that are the glue that keep us sane," he said.
And Jack O’Donnell said being at home so much has made he and his wife Nancy nicer people.
“We both realize that this is going to be a long haul,” O’Donnell writes on Facebook. “Petty issues that might have triggered a response don’t happen often. We are focused on making each other happy in small ways more.”
To that, Nancy O’Donnell responds to her husband, “love you more and more each day.”