Homeschooling. Distance learning. Zoom conferencing. Endless piles of laundry, dishes, phone calls, bills, mouths to feed all day. Cabin fever. Youtube frenzy. We consider ourselves lucky if we can find time to shower everyday. Am I running out of coffee? Milk? The baby's dairy-free yogurt? Kosher meat? Obviously, toilet paper is a hot commodity.
If you're a parent with children ages 0-18, you know what I'm talking about. It's the almost the end of March, 2020, and COVID-19 is attacking our society like wild fire. We haven't had one legit snow day in Philadelphia this year, and now we're home on a never ending snow day/winter break/babysitting/sick day/personal day situation. That's right. Your kids are home, you are home, and no one is allowed to leave the house. This is a situation that could either help families bond while stuck inside for 3 months, or rapidly tear them apart. I sound like the beginning to a reality TV show.
Backstory - in case you live on Mars or in a van down by the river with no internet...
It was a nice Thursday afternoon when we were told to pack up our things at work and plan to not return for an indefinite amount of time. Maybe 2 weeks, maybe until late April - we wouldn't know for sure. But all I knew was that it meant entertaining my two babies while working from home, indefinitely. I am the lucky owner of two really small human beings - a girl and a boy - who are 13 months apart and both weigh about 30lbs. Yup - I am the notorious Instagram poster for #twoundertwo. My second child's first 9 months of his life were not exactly a pleasure cruise, I complained daily to anyone who would listen. And it was real - the struggle, the pain, the exhaustion, the depression, the fights with my spouse, the mood swings. ALL REAL.
These little people - they are at school all day, five days a week, from 9-5. What did I know about being home with them full time, trying to find 10 minutes to shower, and oh my goodness, why do they eat so much? I know what it's like on Saturday and Sunday, but the weekend goes so fast and it's hard to remember that they live this way every day under someone else's watch.
Okay- so here I am, probably struggling with a lot of the same things as you, but I am going to try and reverse the pandemic now. Not the COVID-19 pandemic. The parenting-sucks pandemic. It's been less than 2 weeks, people. You have done this before, probably on Passover in a prior year. Could it get harder? Yes. It will. But let's just take a deep breath. We have to be positive forces in each other's lives if we're going to come out on the other side.
This has been some of the the best 10 days in my life. I never thought I'd be saying this, BUT FORREAL. I love being home with my babies all day.
I am watching my 1 year old teach himself to walk. I am noticing that my daughter, a 27 month old going on 16 years old, is a lot more attached to me than I ever realized (#daddysgirl, #imchoppedliver). I am seeing them talk to each other. Play together. Eat together. Fight over toys. Follow each other around. It's like the best science experiment I ever did, coming to life before my eyes.
You can keep complaining (BECAUSE YES, IT IS HELLA HARD TO BE HOME FOR US ALL!!!!!), but for me, this is bliss.
My husband bought a few handles of Manischewitz, and we're going to be OKAY! What are you doing to leverage your positive power during this super stressful time? Share your thoughts below.
#iWillNotComplain #suddenlySAHM #COVID19Cuddles
Love and laughter,
amanda
PS - Even my 2 year old has a zoom conference schedule with her classmates. It sounds bogus, I know. You are not alone.
If you're a parent with children ages 0-18, you know what I'm talking about. It's the almost the end of March, 2020, and COVID-19 is attacking our society like wild fire. We haven't had one legit snow day in Philadelphia this year, and now we're home on a never ending snow day/winter break/babysitting/sick day/personal day situation. That's right. Your kids are home, you are home, and no one is allowed to leave the house. This is a situation that could either help families bond while stuck inside for 3 months, or rapidly tear them apart. I sound like the beginning to a reality TV show.
Backstory - in case you live on Mars or in a van down by the river with no internet...
It was a nice Thursday afternoon when we were told to pack up our things at work and plan to not return for an indefinite amount of time. Maybe 2 weeks, maybe until late April - we wouldn't know for sure. But all I knew was that it meant entertaining my two babies while working from home, indefinitely. I am the lucky owner of two really small human beings - a girl and a boy - who are 13 months apart and both weigh about 30lbs. Yup - I am the notorious Instagram poster for #twoundertwo. My second child's first 9 months of his life were not exactly a pleasure cruise, I complained daily to anyone who would listen. And it was real - the struggle, the pain, the exhaustion, the depression, the fights with my spouse, the mood swings. ALL REAL.
Okay- so here I am, probably struggling with a lot of the same things as you, but I am going to try and reverse the pandemic now. Not the COVID-19 pandemic. The parenting-sucks pandemic. It's been less than 2 weeks, people. You have done this before, probably on Passover in a prior year. Could it get harder? Yes. It will. But let's just take a deep breath. We have to be positive forces in each other's lives if we're going to come out on the other side.
This has been some of the the best 10 days in my life. I never thought I'd be saying this, BUT FORREAL. I love being home with my babies all day.
I am watching my 1 year old teach himself to walk. I am noticing that my daughter, a 27 month old going on 16 years old, is a lot more attached to me than I ever realized (#daddysgirl, #imchoppedliver). I am seeing them talk to each other. Play together. Eat together. Fight over toys. Follow each other around. It's like the best science experiment I ever did, coming to life before my eyes.
You can keep complaining (BECAUSE YES, IT IS HELLA HARD TO BE HOME FOR US ALL!!!!!), but for me, this is bliss.
My husband bought a few handles of Manischewitz, and we're going to be OKAY! What are you doing to leverage your positive power during this super stressful time? Share your thoughts below.
#iWillNotComplain #suddenlySAHM #COVID19Cuddles
Love and laughter,
amanda
PS - Even my 2 year old has a zoom conference schedule with her classmates. It sounds bogus, I know. You are not alone.
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