admin Is it Thursday or Monday?! Well I have lost count since we have been self-isolating. The quarantine life of a mum is not easy. The only thing that distinguishes one day from the other is the difference in the garbage collection.
What differentiates the weekdays and the weekends, are that during the week we do schoolwork. However, sometimes this is not always possible and some schoolwork spills over the weekend.
Since schools have been called off, the kids have been inside. Their only outlet of fresh air is when we spend time on the roof. The days seem all the same and the highlight of the day, has been getting groceries delivered at home.
What about alone time? If before this was rare, now is practically non-existant. My 4yr old follows me everywhere I go, and I treasure those moments when he is fine with playing alone.
Despite having a schedule, there are days where nothing goes according to plan. There are days that go by quickly and others that feel endless. I don’t know about yours, but my children are very demanding and it gets mentally exhausting.
My daughter is being assigned homework on a regular basis, and although there is no need to stress about it, I do expect her to do it. I know that if she does not do her homework, it will come haunt me back next year, when everything will be back to normal…..hopefully. On the other hand my 4yr old needs to be entertained, but on the other hand needs to start doing basic counting and letters.
Everything starts with enthusiasm, but then it fizzles out. Convincing them to do something is a challenge in itself. As if trying to homeschool them is not enough, they are constantly hungry or else picking on each other. They make messes everywhere they go. So my days are split between the kitchen and cleaning their messes.
Bedtime seems to be so far away.
Since all the family is at home, we are all eating more. Buying groceries online can be a chore in itself because slots fill up quickly. It is not only a struggle to find a slot, but once the groceries arrive you need to wipe everything down. As you might already know, I take everything out and place everything into containers but I still am wiping everything.
The fact that I meal plan for a whole month, reduces this chore drastically. In the current circumstances meal planning effectively is crucial to avoid having to run to the grocery store frequently. In one of my YouTube video, I had shared meal planning tips . Keep your meals easy as much as possible. The simplest ingredients make the best meals. You can watch the YouTube video by clicking here.
Don’t expect to keep your cool and always be a loving mother. In the current circumstances it is practically impossible. I have lost it several times, because after repeating something a million and one times, it gets exhausting. Don’t be too hard on yourself. The house will get messy all the time, so make time to declutter and reorganize your home. It will make it easier to put things away.
Now that the measures have started to be lifted, we might be tempted to rush outside, but we have to be careful. It is not going to be easy, but we have to do our best to overcome it. I am still unable to picture the new normal, especially with regards to children. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to explain to them that they have to keep the distance from each other. In all honesty, I cannot imagine children wearing the masks….my daughter who is 10yrs old might keep it on for some time, but my son who is 4yrs would not. He does not even wear a jacket during winter, let alone wearing a mask.
Whatever the case may be, we need to adjust and abide by the directions given to us by the Health Authorities.
In the meantime, Stay Home Stay Safe
Love,
Strugglingmum XXX
Oh my you just described our life at home. My daughter got bored of everything and I feel I have to try and find her ways to keep occupied because I feel guilty that she’s been stuck inside for 2 months. The house gets dirty and messy so quickly and I have up on tidying her room. And yet I can’t even imagine going back to normal. Even a new normal. Such weird times we’re living in!
Ultimately we all go through the same issues. Hence we need to remember that we are not alone.