So, we made it through week one! Congratulations. How do you think you did? Did you manage to work? Did you feed your family? Did you finally find toilet paper?
Here's the thing, friends: if you didn't do any of these things, it's OK. Give yourself some grace. This was a tough week for us all. To be honest, I had some really BIG plans for our family. I really thought we'd accomplish a lot more than we did. Instead, I focused on spending some time getting to know what was going to work for us and how we were going to manage this new normal.
I got used to working from home with a husband who also was now working from home, out of MY office. I figured out how to schedule my kids so they didn't get bored and eat me out of house and home. I tried to do some crafts; my kids were into it for about 10 minutes and then one of them got bored and started hitting the other one. I tried to cook; I realized I forgot to thaw the meat and we ended up ordering take-out from some local Union County small businesses. I found myself working late at night and early in the morning because my husband is loud when he's on the phone and I can't concentrate. We watched TV. We played games and took walks. And, now, I am pretty sure we can handle this next week.
The point is: the kids are going to be fine so long as you know you're also going to be fine. I saw parents I know adapting in ways we never thought possible. Parents reinvented how they'd celebrate their child's birthday. Parents found ways to create connections with grandparents who are isolated and lonely. Parents who, like us, tried to facilitate online playdates with kids who were hesitant and unsure of this new normal. Our kids will not remember this quarantine as the cluster that it is. They will remember how we responded to it. How we adapted. How we made it fun.
So, this week, I'm delivering to you a few ways to make it fun. And I'll continue to do that for you every week until we can get back to life as we have always known it.
Be well!
