The Coronavirus is Making Me a Better Mom

My Problem

I am constantly busy. I try so hard to not fall into the FOMO group, but sadly I do.  It’s not so much what I will miss out on, but a genuine fear that if my kids don’t experience ALL THE THINGS-ALL THE TIME I am a bad mom! Coronavirus is changing that. I am a teacher, a Youth Run Nola coach several nights a week, and a cheer coach. Both of my daughters dance and my son is a cross country runnin’ Boy Scout. So yes, we are BUSY. I am blessed and fortunate, but tired as well. I cannot relax, I cannot chill, I cannot meditate (correctly). While attempting to relax, I am making lists, planning the next outing, the next get together. This year I made a resolution to plan downtime into my life. One day a month I would stay home and relax with my family. We could bike ride, watch movies, play board games- anything that allowed us to all be together and be HOME. Since my new year’s resolution was made, I did this one time for half a day.

Why am I like this?

My childhood was definitely not filled with adventure. I grew up on the low end of poor, and my parents were both sickly and often too tired to entertain me. No money and tired parents led to a pretty boring childhood. No vacations, no outings to the park, nada. When friends would talk about the things they did each weekend, I was always astounded by so many options. They must have amazing parents. When I had kids I would be different. Boy am I!

Silver Lining

This situation is terrible for so many. It’s scary and reminds us all how precious our lives and loved ones are. I needed this reminder.  I needed to be forced to stay home. It’s taken me 2 weeks, but I am a better mom through this. We are hanging out, playing board games, getting to know each other, relaxing and having CONVERSATIONS. My four-year-old is asking me WHY? And I’m taking all the time to answer every question. I am listening to my 12-year-old explain in detail the Manga books he is reading, and I’m not zoning out! My teenager is joking with me and teaching me TikTok dances. I actually played with sidewalk chalk today and ENJOYED it! This pandemic is forcing me to breathe and enjoy each day, not treat it as a check in a box. It’s not how many things we get done each day, it’s about what we shared, who we shared time with, what we learned about each other. I’m not walking the dog by myself quickly so he gets exercise, we are walking the dog as a family, chatting, pointing out things in our neighborhood I never noticed before.

When this is over

Yes, this will be over. We will come out of this. We will pull through. I know so many cannot wait to get back to work and the daily grind of things, but I hope that when we do I don’t forget to slow down. I pray I remember this time fondly and try to slow down more often. I am promising myself that these family walks will become a priority, but I hope they never again become just a part of my to do list.