Am I the only one that is feeling this right now? I went from spending my days creating party invitations and printables (mixed with trying to exercise and clean my house) to homeschool monitor, lunch lady and coworker (my husband is working from home as well now). My house is always in a stage of mess. My kids aren't even little anymore, but the number of times I've tripped over Fort Nite figurines is steadily rising. Screen time is the basic schedule of everyday between online school curriculum, video games and TV (there is no shame in my coping through corona game)!
In all serioussness though what are you doing to get through long days couped up at home with kids that would normally be at school? Some things I'm doing are; trying to give myself grace. That's right. Normally I would have shame if my
kids spent hours on end playing video games. (they feel like they're living their best life by the way!) So I'm giving myself grace. The circumstances we're in are unusual. In all honestly, though I was following the news it was unexpected in some ways. So I give myself grace. That is a big coping mechanism for me. I'm also making my kids take an hour off of everything every single day. I thrive with quiet. And though it may seem like a forced hour of no screens is counter productive I have to report that it has been my sanity saver. Every afternoon for an hour before I start dinner every screen is turned off. They can read, they
can play board games, they can play with toys. They can do anything they want that doesn't involve bothering me or an electronic device. And during this time I read a book and recharge my batteries (I turn off screens too). This has been saving me. And I'm proud to report that my boys have been so good, letting their imaginations run wild. I had to laugh when my 12 year old came downstairs yesterday with the connect four game. I never would've thought he would reach for that, but they were laughing and giggling and playing and it was the best thing. And it helped me recharge. I love it when they interact and play so well together, especially after a couple of weeks without a break from each other. Their laughter breathes life into me. I've also found that writing down a few things I'm grateful for helps to keep me grounded. This helps tremendously.
The other things I'm doing for my own sanity are exercising and baths! Exercising really helps me channel those anxious feelings. It helps me to get out the nervous energy and makes me feel like I'm doing something. I'm lucky enough that we have several home workout options. We have a treadmill, a total gym and a punching bag. Not to mention the countless youtube videos and I have some old Zumba dvds. So exercise is something that I live for everyday and my boys are living for it too. And lastly (for now) baths. A hot bath with soothing bath salts are also good for the soul and just what this mama needs. I love a little solitude in the evenings (not every evening) and this helps so much. These are my current sanity savers. I'm sure they will evolve as we go throught this process. This is all unchartered territory and there has been a learning curve for me. What are you doing to thrive during this time? What does life look like for you and your family? I hope you continue to thrive as the chaos coordinator in your home. Leave me a comment and let me know how you're doing.
Here s the link ito the stickers featured in this post. Chaos manager sticker bundle.
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