I guess that most topics to discuss right now are pretty much all tinted by the worldwide present situation of quarantine and uncertainty.
One thing I noticed (on myself, at least) is the back and forth of being grateful and “enjoying” (if I may) this time with my family to fear and anger towards those not taking this seriously enough to be part of the solution.
Homeschooling has been nice and a nightmare.
My kindergartener loves schoolwork and has no issues understanding it, so in general, she is willing to sit down and get it all done at once. Don’t get me wrong, she has been revolting here and there because her toys are “waiting” for her to play so she has no time for this “pretend school” thing.
My first grader HATES it. He has a special education teacher who comes into the classroom when he needs help, and even though he was doing great, now, he has a computer telling him what to do with only me as help. Here is when the “kids are comfortable with mom so they throw fits at home” part comes in, and both of us end up frustrated and tired. Now that his special education teacher is working with him online, I hope things go smoother.
Navigating the online schoolwork has been very stressful. Two kids in two different schools with different programs…what a learning curve! And SO MANY DEVICES!!! The video conference works in this one but not that one… The sound is better on that one… Google Classroom is loaded there and can’t find the password to load it there…FOR THE LOVE!!!!
I do appreciate being able to be there when they accomplish a new task and feel proud of themselves. I do like having to read more with them and be the one helping (when things work out) to figure things up. But I am not teacher material.
Being home together all the time is awesome and overwhelming.
My husband and I are both working from home (I usually do it on a regular basis), so now we have two different spots for our offices. I get to “entertain” the kids when he is on conference calls, and he does the same for me. When one of us is free-er, we take the kids for a bike ride or a walk to wear them out and get some fresh air.
It is nice to eat lunch together and talk to him during his 9-5 (doesn’t happen when he is at the office). On the other hand, sometimes, it feels like living with a coworker because our day is so interrupted that we end up working at night as well. There is no separation of work life and home life. We are together more but our heads are worrying 24/7, so we are not fully present.
I miss my alone time… my quiet time (do your kids talk as much as mine? Like, all day? Nonstop and mostly nonsense?… just mine? OK) but I am immensely grateful we are together… makes sense?
Exercise, my sanity temple.
I used to go to the gym every day (or almost), and it was my sanity temple and pretty much my only point of social interaction. Well, things have changed.
I have a treadmill that I bought a couple of years ago (I bought it used since I wasn’t sure it was going to be properly utilized… think clothes hanger), which has been my saving grace. Our wedding anniversary was March 27th so my 10th-anniversary jewelry suddenly transformed into a stationary bike…. Priorities, right?… Now for the life of me, I can’t find a dumbbell to buy (without paying a kidney for it).
There is a mysterious vortex where toilet paper, bleach, and dumbbells go to disappear.
We are extremely blessed to be healthy and together. We have jobs and a little bit of bleach and toilet paper left. We have friends checking in with us and we are helping friends too. With that said I also feel fear and anxiety about not knowing when this is going to end. I, sometimes, like my kids need to have a full-blown meltdown to get it all out my system and be able to keep going the next day.
I hope you stay safe and enjoying-dreading this time as most of us are.
How are you managing?
