She’ll be comin’ round the mountain when she comes (when she comes)!
“She,” of course, being COVID-19.
…I realize it’s not something to make light of, I just had to get into this blog post somehow.
Many of us, I know, will be spending lots of time inside - some with children to entertain (God bless), and some with themselves to keep occupied (lucky bastards). There are so, SO (many too??) many options for us to peruse when it comes to finding ways to spend our time inside, so I crowd-sourced some favorites from my Instagram followers and included a few of my own!
First of all, some quick tips. I only have one child and he’s just over 2 - so take this with a grain of salt, but I’m a stay-at-home parent, and I know if you’re not used to all this togetherness (and frankly, even if you are), things can get DICEY. Like, hide in the bathroom while kids scream in the other room and you pray for the cover of night so you can eat a full sleeve of Oreos kind of dicey. Also, I’m aware that there are lots of parents who will be working full-time hours while still trying to parent at home since schools are closed - YOU ARE THE REAL HEROES. I salute you!
Here’s what works for our family, largely plagiarized from things I’ve learned from other SAHP’s:
Subscribe to Disney+ and PBS. Just do it.
Get up and get ready before your kids wake up. I know, it’s a pain in the ass and you’d rather sleep in. But the days I do this, I’m so much better off than the days I don’t.
Add structure to your days, even if you’re just inside. I’m not suggesting you’re regimented in everything, of course. But for my money, kids appreciate boundaries, structure, and dependability. Waking up every day without any idea what’s on the docket for the next tWeLvE hOuRs is extremely overwhelming and leads to decision fatigue before you even get to lunch. My little rule for myself is that by 10 AM, we need to be in the car going somewhere or doing an activity. Obviously, things look different right now, but you can still get out of the house - run around in the backyard, drive around, have a car dance party, I saw one mom suggest the car wash - get creative! Maybe at 10 and 3 every day, screens get put away and you do something together as a family.
Make mealtimes a “thing.” Have your kids help get them ready, pump them up, eat as a family at the table, have them clear their own plates. Kids are really good helpers when we empower them to be!
If you need activities, visit the Holy Grail of sources: the busy toddler.com This woman will save your bacon and keep you from sneaking into your bathroom to have a shower beer at by 9 in the morning. Rainbow Rice (and I know everyone has an excess of rice right now) is a gift from the baby Jesus.
Control the TV and when it goes off. For Mac, the things that works best is giving him a warning that it’s coming and a promise of the next activity. Suddenly turning off a show or a video leads to a meltdown - “The TV is going off in 10 minutes, and then we’re going to have lunch!” There’s nothing wrong with screen time in moderation, but unmitigated TV all day every day is going to create problems for you. Just trust me. Been there (way too many times).
Have kids help with random household tasks. Are they going to be done perfectly? No. Will they probably have to be done again? Sure will. But “folding” laundry, sweeping up a mess, etc., can be a good way to occupy your time.
SORT. Anything. Everything. By color, size, shape, texture, function - put things into piles with your kids. Make forts. Rearrange the bookshelf. Take your clothes off and run around outside. Have a “naked day.” Eat popsicles in the bathtub. Paint pictures for grandparents. Write letters to friends. Whatever you do - your energy and attitude are going to reflect in how your child perceives the activity they’re doing. Keep it light, positive, and sunshine-y. Just like with a spouse, constant togetherness can breed contempt - try to take deep breaths, be patient, and remember that your kids are likely doing their best (even when they’re jumping off the couch onto the dog). BTW, this is really hard to do and really easy to say.
Disconnect when you need to. If Mac is playing independently outside, I almost always have one AirPod in listening to podcasts - that way, I can hear him and interact with him, but I’m also doing something that I enjoy. It keeps me going!
Follow the golden rule of SAHP-ing: “Don’t do anything while your kids are asleep that you could do while they’re awake.” Obviously if you’re including them in helping with a household chore, that’s one thing. But if they’re sleeping and you’re folding laundry? No, friend. Watch a show. Take a nap. Have your shower beer. Re-charging and taking some kid-free time to yourself is THE ONLY WAY to be energized by the time they’re awake again.
Okay - back to entertainment!
Click the photo of each show to see a short description/review of it so you can make your decisions (apart from the last section, which is full of shows that were suggested to me but that I haven’t seen). Of course, this is in no way comprehensive…I’m already realizing I left The West Wing and Sex and the City and Fargo off the list - face: palm. Start your engines!
