I've written before about how hard I find it to stay in the house - since I was a toddler, or even earlier, I have spent most of my waking hours away from home: kindergarten, school (with afternoon activites every day as both my parents worked full time), work. It was a real shift when I married Mr. and went to part-time work, and after D(3) was born, no work outside the home at all.
I managed the shift by finding various things to do outside the home. Every weekday when the kids were tiny, I would attend at least a toddler group - we're very fortunate in our town that there are lots of choices. I would usually be out of home in the morning, return for lunch and naps, and then go out again.
Until now.
For the first time ever, I'm spending large chunks of time at home - and it's an adjustment! Although until an actual lockdown is announced, we will definitely go outside every day as long as the weather allows; but not meeting up with friends means we don't spend as much time out as we would if they had fun with other kids.
Facebook is of course ever helpful (that's sarcasm) in providing detailed schedule templates for kids of all ages. Plan down to the half hour! That was me, pre-kids... and reading this really showed me how much I've actually changed. Rather than a source of comfort, now timetables and rigid structures are restrictive to me and a source of stress. Whereas previously the exact opposite was the case!
That said, we definitely have something of a rhythm in our days; and that will evolve as time passes. Right now, we wake up (7.30am), have breakfast, have playtime or garden time or bake together; then lunch, and go outside. And after we get back, I start counting down until Mr. arrives to be daddy! He's working from home as of today, and is hiding in the spare room: and the kids don't even know he's there! We'll see how long we can keep that charade up.
Once Mr. is home, I might go out to shop - because of panic buyers, I have found that the most effective way to shop is to go daily and pick up what I need if it's available. That way, over the course of the week I do get everything I need and I don't get frustrated if a particular thing is out of stock. (that said, it would be nice if people stopped panic buying pasta because we do eat that quite a lot and I haven't been able to get any for days!)
I managed the shift by finding various things to do outside the home. Every weekday when the kids were tiny, I would attend at least a toddler group - we're very fortunate in our town that there are lots of choices. I would usually be out of home in the morning, return for lunch and naps, and then go out again.
Until now.
For the first time ever, I'm spending large chunks of time at home - and it's an adjustment! Although until an actual lockdown is announced, we will definitely go outside every day as long as the weather allows; but not meeting up with friends means we don't spend as much time out as we would if they had fun with other kids.
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| Creative time! Notice how each person has a belly button... |
That said, we definitely have something of a rhythm in our days; and that will evolve as time passes. Right now, we wake up (7.30am), have breakfast, have playtime or garden time or bake together; then lunch, and go outside. And after we get back, I start counting down until Mr. arrives to be daddy! He's working from home as of today, and is hiding in the spare room: and the kids don't even know he's there! We'll see how long we can keep that charade up.
Once Mr. is home, I might go out to shop - because of panic buyers, I have found that the most effective way to shop is to go daily and pick up what I need if it's available. That way, over the course of the week I do get everything I need and I don't get frustrated if a particular thing is out of stock. (that said, it would be nice if people stopped panic buying pasta because we do eat that quite a lot and I haven't been able to get any for days!)
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