As I write this the corvid-19 virus is spreading into our county, along with the panic. I feel inspired to connect with others through this time. To share, inspire, and comfort. I will be posting daily through this, so please come back tomorrow and be sure to comment if you feel called to do so! I’m sure many of us are writing and creating right now.
I sit here with my coffee, watching my boys play Dance Party on their Wii. It’s 9:00am, and although we usually restrict their screen time I’m thrilled that they immediately asked to play this morning after breakfast. For those of you who don’t know what Dance Party is, it’s essentially a game that follows your movements and you try to dance along with specific characters on screen to popular songs. I’m glad they’re getting their wiggles out!
Honestly, the first time I pulled out this game two days ago, they were all arguing through theirs first dances. That’s to be expected when a family of five has been in a 700 foot apartment together for five days, and counting. I read last week that some preppers suggest you write down the things that you love about the people that you’ll be with during times like this. The thought being that if you’re ever stuck feeling stir crazy and irritated with someone that you’re with, then you can read the list. Reminding yourself of why you love them, when times were normal, and get yourself back in check. I think it’s important for everyone to consider this, even if you don’t feel the need to actually write them down. Have a conscious inner talk with yourself about your favorite characteristics of your family.
We should always feel this way, striving to be ever present in our thoughts towards those closest to us. This shit that we’re in now, has us all self-isolating in the very least. It’s already batshit crazy everywhere you go, and way to “peopley” at every grocery store where people are hoarding toilet paper. At home your anxieties about what all of this virus stuff means can leave you feeling anxious and frazzled. We’re in this for the long haul, and it’s only going to get more real. So now’s as good a time as any to remind ourselves of what’s most important, the love and bond that we have with our family.
Moving on.. My nine year old just saw on the dance game the song You’re The One That I Want from Grease, and said “Whoa! That’s like from the old 80’s” Bahahaha! Which led to an entire history and cultural lesson on the difference between the decades. I am thankful to be able to hear and share all of these little moments with them. We homeschool, and have since he was four, so for five years. We have a few people in our family that have chosen to homeschool their kids, so even before we were pregnant, we knew that we wanted this for our children. I’m not a “Karen” I don’t judge. To each their own in the choice to school, or ability to in your city. I am not here to preach, only to share how I’ve managed to stay sane and keep everyone happy through my homeschool journey. Maybe this will help someone who found themselves suddenly thrown into home schooling; their child’s school closed due to the virus. (We’re all human, I’m not all knowing. Shit gets real at my house too, kids be wild.)
The best, most helpful piece of advice I can give anyone who’s homeschooling is the advice that was given to me by another, “Relax. It all sorts itself out, it’s a journey.”
That one is easier said than done, and takes practice. In my five years of doing year round schooling at home with our three boys I feel like I am finally comfortable with this. I now share it with anyone who asks for advice. When you first start to think about schooling your kids, you inevitably think that their education will look something like the one that you received. You then feel overwhelmed, and it can spin into a chaotic whirlwind of how’s. How do I know what to teach? How do I teach it? How will they behave? How will we all stay sane??? Let that all go mamma. It sorts itself and is a journey.
They’re surely feeling overwhelmed by this virus stuff too, even if we try to shield them from most of it. Take a few days to just focus on your household needs, and your new routine. Visual schedules that everyone can understand and read help kids know what to expect and can be very comforting. In our home my kids always have three things available to help them know what’s coming:
A calendar of the month, with major events marked as they pertain to the kids.
A daily schedule showing their routine
A list of school subjects (Only subjects, no specifics, with the ability for them to mark that they’ve completed this subject for the day. Ours is on a dry erase board and has magnetic stars.)
More on these tomorrow if you’re interested! Getting prepared with a general routine and game plan is half the battle, so take a day or two to sort out what you feel is reasonable for your family.
What are your plans for the day?
I’ve got some 48 hour bone broth I’m hoping to finish up and bottle, and then prepare for tomorrow! We do Saint Patrick’s Day BIG! The leprechauns come and cause chaos. Hehehe. They turn everything green and play little tricks on us all day. Which means I’ll be busy for a few hours after everyone goes to bed tonight lol. Our oldest has been perfecting a leprechaun trap for a few months now and is scouring the house for bait to put in his trap (think gold, rainbows, that kind of thing). It’s a fun and magical holiday. I’m especially thankful for it this year, and the fun change it will bring to the kids during our self-isolation.
Check in tomorrow! Please like and subscribe to our different platforms.
Covid-19 Day One As I write this the corvid-19 virus is spreading into our county, along with the panic. I feel inspired to connect with others through this time.