Friends! The unthinkable has happened, and we’ve all found ourselves with upturned worlds. These days are dicey, and they are hard–in more than one way. So many of us are now crash-coursing into homeschooling kids while still managing our jobs and other daily tasks. Toss in a hefty dose of uncertainty and fear factor on top of this, and our days are more than a tad challenging. With all of this in mind, we bring you the best of what we’ve learned–a REAL mom’s coronavirus survival guide.
A REAL Mom’s Coronavirus Survival Guide
A bit about us before I share our experience…I am incredibly fortunate in that I already work from home, so while my husband continues to trek into work during these COVID-19 days, we needn’t worry over childcare or missed work hours with our children off school. My daughter is eight, and my ASD son is ten.
Our school district is providing a hefty amount of at-home assignments, which has caused more than one headache over sorting devices, apps, logins and the like. Our printer is also from approximately sixteen decades ago and provides me with daily fits over getting necessary daily materials on paper for the kids. We are currently Day 3 of our shut down, and my hope is these logistics will sort themselves out as days progress.
Our life is very REAL–meaning messy. I never pull punches…as our life already doles them out aplenty on its own. My goal for coronavirus survival? Getting my kiddos and me through this day to day crazy as best as I can…day to day!
I think this covers the most important points, though my two psychotic, overly active, attention-demanding rescue pups would argue that I am remiss in leaving them out of the mix. So they can now rest easier upon being mentioned 😉
10 REAL Mom Hacks to for Coronavirus Survival
- Schedule as suits you. To tether my son, a rather structured schedule works wonders. A schedule is not for everyone. I know there are a zillion sample schedules floating around on socials. Friends have told me they have had success “targeting four things (or less!) each day” or simply “relaxing and rolling with their days”. Know what works for you and yours and go with it.
- GO OUTSIDE (if you can). Obviously, know your space and local recommendations. We are fortunate to live in a Philly suburb with a large, open space park at the end of our street. At 3pm daily, we leash up the dogs and trek out. It felt truly dreamy to feel the sun on my face today, and we have now twice bumped into a neighbor (keeping the appropriate 6 ft. of social distancing!), and enjoyed a chat–so lovely and soul-stimulating in these isolated days! When you’re outside, remember to have your mask on, preferably one that’s approved by the FDA such as KN95 face masks. A mask protects you and the people around you, so it’s a must-have during COVID times.
- Connect your kids. I’ve heard about so much Face-timing with grandparents going on; go for it! My kids have also discovered the old school phone call this week and it’s been too fun. My son’s bestie asked to call him Monday; my daughter, unfamiliar with the calling concept, said, “That’s weird!” We’re now on Day 3 of both of them embracing this novel phenomenon of phone calls to friends. The highlight was yesterday’s 45 min discussion between my daughter and her BFF about smelly socks. Haha!
- Rally your tribe. Along the lines of above, YOU must connect, mama. I start each day trolling Google article updates and sharing prevalent ones (this morning’s highlight was Spanish folks walking pet turtles), and sending “you’ve got this!” and “is it crazy I want to take a nap at 9am?” texts to a handful of friends who have become my people through this. These are also the gals I can safely call in tears at any hour when the craziness is too much or laugh with when my husband is being especially husband-ish.
- Get exercise. We do our daily walk, the kids go for a morning run, and among us, we practice yoga, karate and dance routines inside the home. There are also scads of work-out videos online for all ages. Movement makes me feel saner and more centered overall, and also offers a health boost. Sneak in as much exercise as you can in your days, friends!
- Take a break. Listen, none of us can be on ALL of the time. Or, if you can, you are truly Supermom, and I need you to come here now and run my life. For the rest of us, go on and pencil in that break–you need it. Ours comes after lunch (that sanity-saving schedule I mentioned). I give us all a large block to decompress however suits us: my son often has pad time, my daughter might tackle crafts, I catch up on emails and doze if I can. This downtime enables all of us to have more on-time.
- Indoor hobbies for the win! Movies, baking, books, puzzles, gaming, knitting, LEGO–whatever your cup of joe is–go for it and enjoy! This aligns with the Danish principle of Hygge, and while we’re no longer in the thick of winter, the concept of cozying in and making ourselves as content as possible is smart! We need to make the most of our circumstances.
- Fall in love with a show. If there was ever a time for binging, COVID-19 has it! Thank goodness for all of these streaming services that make zeroing in on a show so easy. I love a good movie as much as the next al, but there is something about committing to an ongoing show that is nourishing for the soul. I can log off and on as my schedule permits knowing that the show is waiting for me whenever I get to it!
- Pray it out. If I were sans my faith in an unprecedented time like this, I can’t imagine. Constantly drawing on the truth that God IS there and somehow will draw us out of these darker days is quintessential to my mental health
- Be REAL. Be real with each and every person you have the privilege of crossing 6 ft-distant paths with! Say hi, say hello, ask how they are doing and care. Talk to your friends online and over the phone and tell them if you’re struggling, let them know the truth of your day to day and care about their truth. Be there and be real. This may be the most important tip of anything on this list!
Thanks for checking out these REAL mom hacks for coronavirus survival. One solid rule we can always follow, mamas–we never have a clue what we are doing or are supposed to be doing! All we can do is try our best, and that we are–trying, caring, and giving our all, right there with you. xoxo and Godspeed, friends.
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Janine Huldie says
Great tips and honestly cannot believe this is where we are at. But I do think we will get through this and appreciate any and all advice. Hugs and thanks again, my friend <3
Meredith says
We will get through this! There is another side to all of this, and praying for all of us until we get there!
Meredith says
I hadn’t even USED our printer since BEFORE our 8 year old was born. That was trying and, of course, it was completely out of ink. We’re on day #5 of work from home and eLearning. It’s gotten a bit easier, but one of us ends up in tears daily still. These days, too, shall pass!
Meredith says
I am hoping this is all a steep learning curve? All of the issues will even out and it will settle into a lovely routine? 😉 Here’s hoping and Godspeed in the meantime!