Back in March, I wrote about how much I was struggling with caring for my toddlers (now one and three!) while working part time and staying sane (which felt like an impossibly high bar). When school was canceled in early March and I was facing down what I thought was going to be two full weeks (ha! I was so naive) of staying home with my busy, inquisitive kiddos, I was (internally AND externally) freaking out a little.
But here we are. It’s May now, and we’re all still standing (or rather, standing now – my one year old has learned a new trick or two during this quarantine!). While the state of Georgia is opening up bit by bit, my family has decided to continue with our own status quo, for the time being. And, these past eight plus weeks of balancing (or, rather, badly juggling) it all has given me the confidence I need to continue forward, sheltering in place as a family (for now), working part-time, and, dare I say it, having fun. So here’s what I’ve learned:
I can do this
I’ll put the big one right up front. Early on, I had doubts that I could keep my toddlers happy and thriving while still working part-time (without going crazy). I had previously tried my hand as a stay at home mom, and I already knew I wasn’t cut out for what I can only describe as the hardest, most rewarding job in the world. But, after a couple weeks of floundering, our family has found a new rhythm, and it’s easier (not easy, but easier).
Early on in all of this, my husband told me this experience was going to make us better parents. I told him it was going to break us. Here it is in print, honey – You were right! This experience has given me the confidence I didn’t even know I needed to be the best mom that I can be for our two littles. And, dare I say it, I’m a little bit grateful.
There is such a thing as “good enough”
As a recovering perfectionist, this one surprised me a little. I’ve always been something of a stickler about what my kids eat, what and how much television they watch, and what kind of activities we do to continue to help them grow and learn. I know, I probably don’t sound like the most fun mom on the block – I’m a work in progress!
But, with competing priorities (not all priorities are equal – I’ve placed healthy kids and sanity at the top of the list), I’ve learned to bend…a lot. My three year old has learned about movies (why watch a 20 minute TV show when you can have an hour and a half of quiet work time – also known as the Winnie the Pooh movie?), I’m now a big fan of the afternoon cookie break (for both me and the kiddos), and as long as no one is crying or getting hurt, I don’t care how much my kids climb on the furniture and throw the pillows on the floor. I owe my babies and all of this extra time together an unexpected thank you for teaching me to loosen up a bit.
I do have a hobby!
You’ve probably seen (and, if you’re like me, been thoroughly appalled by) this idea that we should all come out of quarantine with new skills or hobbies (the writer obviously didn’t have busy kiddos!). My only goal is to come out of this with a happy and healthy family and, ideally, at least some of my sanity intact. But, as it turns out, I’m also going to have a whole lot of pictures of my little family.
I’ve always loved taking pictures, but for some reason, the effort to pick up the camera has felt like just one thing too many while balancing kiddos. During this time together, as I’ve loosened up and gained a little confidence, I’ve also been shutter happy. I now have so many photos to remember this time together (and trust me when I say they span from #nofilter perfect stills of us living our best lives to two toddlers screaming in the middle of the living room because I turned on the wrong dance song).
To all the moms out there who are wondering if and how they can do this, take a look back over the last couple of weeks – you already are doing it, and you’re doing it well! As we emerge on the other side of all of this, I hope you, too, have found bright spots – and have pictures to remember them by.
