Tips for a Quarantined Mom

First of all, how is everyone doing? This quarantine stuff can really make a lady lose her marbles. Imagine this…Months before this global pandemic happened, I was genuinely considering home schooling my kids, then BOOM! “Corona Virus!” (My best Cardi-B impersonation). It felt like a tornado came and uprooted my home from what I considered “normal”. I had to immediately pull myself up by my boot laces and figure out how to teach a 1^st grader. Not only did I have to teach him, but I also had to deal with the added chores and mess that came with a 2 and 6-year-old locked in the house all day. On top of that, my husband has been working from home. Hello additional cleaning, laundry, dishes and who peed on the floor? It quickly became obvious that I was not as ready to take on the task of homeschooling 2 kids on 2 completely different educational levels. I found myself feeling overwhelmed. Am I a bad mom? I’m a horrible wife, I’m so lazy! Those were the thoughts constantly running through my head until I took a step back and applied these 7 tips.

1. Take a Deep Breath.

This is a situation that none of us were expecting, it’s ok if you don’t get it right away and that doesn’t mean that you’re a bad mom. Our own government, ya you know the ones with all the ‘smart people’ that’s in charge of running this country? The weren’t even prepared.

2. Learn from Your Mistakes.

Ok, so you guys woke up at noon because you spent Tuesday night watching almost every Disney movie known to man. Now you’re stuck trying to make up the time you’ve lost while you were asleep. Take this opportunity to realize maybe staying up late with the kids on a weekday might not be the best idea. It’s so tempting to sleep all day…trust me I know, but you should try to maintain the initial school hours that your child is used to waking up. This way you don’t fall behind your usual routine.

3. Create a Schedule.

Just like how children thrive off of structure, so do we. Planning out my day is one of the smartest things I could’ve possibly done. I’ll make a separate post about how I created mine but it’s a great idea to create one that fits your lifestyle. Knowing what you have to do and when you have to do it makes your day go by smoothly and gives you things to accomplish and look forward to. Before I created my schedule, I wasn’t getting anything done, which left me feeling like a failure.

4. Don’t be too Hard on Yourself or your Family.

I’m pretty sure the kids would rather be at school, sitting in the classroom and playing with their friends and your spouse probably misses work because they’re able to get more done. So again, take a chill pill, just like it’s hard on you, keep in mind that it’s hard for them too.

5. Be Vocal.

This one applies solely between you and your significant other. They weren’t mind readers prior to COVID-19 and they’re not now. Like we tell our kids, “use your words”. It can be mentally and emotionally draining dealing with all of this, if something is bothering you, or if you need help, pull your significant other aside and address it. Don’t hold it all in only to explode a week from now. Communication is key for healthy relationships and it will help avoid many quarantine showdowns.

6. Take Care of You FIRST!

Just like when the flight attendant tells you to put your mask on FIRST before assisting ANYONE else, it’s the same exact thing. If you’re not at 100% how can you give your all to those you love? It’s ok to take some time for yourself whether it’s working out with Sean T before the kids wake up, taking a nice bubble bath after they go to sleep or simply eating your favorite ice cream that you’ve hid from them while reading your book of the month. All that matters is that you’re doing something for you.

7. Screw Those Social Moms!

You know the ones I’m talking about, the ones that always SEEM to have it all together. The one’s that make every meal from scratch , homes are never messy, makes hello kitty pancakes every morning and shows off all the cool things they’re doing with their kids while wearing her perfect fitting white T shirt , with not a hair out of place or a wrinkle or stain in sight! I hate to break it to you Hunny, but that woman does not exist. You are merely getting to see the parts of life that she chooses to show. So, stop comparing yourself and focus on how to become the best mom you want to be.

What tip would you give to a fellow mom?

Comment down below!!