There’s a reason I am a working Mom (okay, so there are a few) but one of them is that I cannot be a SAHM – nope! Never. I would go insane. There are some people who can be with kids all day (we call these abnormal people TEACHERS) and then those of us who do well with our children in small doses. And I can say this with zero shame. I am a career-mom, not a soccer-mom.
BUT – thanks to COVID-19, I am forced to navigate lockdown with two small toddlers (one of whom is accustomed to being in school from 8am to 5pm five times a week). I tried a week of working from home and managing two little humans who have no concept other than the SELF right now, and let’s say that hiding in a room with your back against the door while two little voices yell “MAMA” and attempting to present to the CEO of the company did not work out as planned (shocker that one, really).
I decided that a week of that type of torture was enough, and went back to what ‘experts’ would call ‘routine’.
I drafted a weekly timetable of sorts, loosely based on what should happen every day in my LOs lives (like brushing teeth, getting dressed, exercising and plying outside) and split the days out into “special activities” and “dinner”. The idea of this is to instil a sense of excitement for what is to come.
“Oh, Wednesday we are making slime? Yay!”
“Friday is Pizza Night? Woohoo!”
Just like school has daily activities, and then nuance activities that happen once or twice a week, I wanted to mimic this for them (and myself) so that we know what it is that we are doing every day, what will be learned, what fun will be had, and what we will be cooking that night together.
Cabin fever is also a real thing – I’ve had the girls on #lockdown for 15 days already, so they are super frustrated right now at not being able to go to a park or for something as simple as ice cream. So, having a daily routine set out will also help to curb this slightly, as they have something to look forward to in the coming days and will have a sense of accomplishment once the day’s activities are done.
Below is my basic draw-out of the first week’s timetable I have drawn up, alongside the “Daily” activities we have. It’s also vitally important that my babies understand that, even though we are at home together, Mommy still needs to work… and when Mommy is working, they cannot interrupt me. Teaching them self-discipline and appreciation of another person’s needs is important too.
A few ideas of what you can do, pending on your child’s age and your available time:
- Use this time to teach your children something NEW – art, music, a new language. There are so many options! Have fun with this.
- Be creative – have them create, paint, make, cook or craft many things. We watch Master Chef Jnr, and I am set on having my oldest cook me a roast chicken by the end of #lockdown2020 (kidding… not really)
- Have them take ownership of their activities, and don’t interfere – my child goes to a Montessori school, and one of the best lessons they teach parents is to let your child figure things out on their own. Can’t build that puzzle? Don’t do it for them – leave them to figure it out and guide rather than instruct/do.
- Have fun and take in as much as possible. Be positive and remember that you are safe at home with your little ones, which is a lot more than some people can say! Enjoy this time with them and be silly – it’s boring being an adult sometimes.
Stay safe, stay home! Wash your hands and be vigilant.
Pray & Slay my dear readers.
#MotherMuses
mother muses 