Seemingly overnight, life as we knew it changed with the pandemic. Where we were once shuttling the kids to school and afterschool activities while dashing off to work, we’re now home with the kids while working. There are projects to complete, deadlines to fulfill, and of course, Zoom conferences to connect to.
The majority of summer camps are closed, leaving parents to try to strike a balance between work and parenting through the coronavirus. Never fear though as these 5 tips will help you handle parenting stress through these pandemic days.
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Create a solid routine
You might not be going into the office or dropping the kids off at various places, but set a schedule to stick to each day. Start with breakfast, then engage the kids in some form of activity. Depending on their ages, you can give them crafts or experiments to do without you so you can tackle some work while they’re occupied.
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Get comfortable with flexibility
While routines will certainly help add some stability to your daily life, you have to be ready to shift gears at a moment’s notice. Even your older children will need reassurance from you and simply having you near will help them feel more secure.
For this reason, be prepared to put work tasks on hold for 20 to 30 minutes so you can spend some time with your kids. As you do, you’ll be better prepared to finish your tasks later with a fresh mind and the children will have peace of mind which makes for a more productive household.
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Stop looking at all the news
Being informed is a good thing. It helps us make the right decisions to keep our families safe. However, there is such a thing as information overload. Constant scrolling through social media, opinionated arguments, and doomsday declarations about your state aren’t going to help you. Learn to tune it out and only seek out the facts while limiting that input to once per day.
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Give yourself a breather
We all love our families but all this togetherness can make us feel trapped. Take time for yourself to fill your own cup so you can be more effective working and parenting. When you constantly feel like your gears are grinding, you’ll be going nowhere fast.
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Outsource some of those tasks
Another thing you should try to remember is that you don’t have to do it all. You’re working, parenting, and trying to keep the household together all at once. It’s time to realize you don’t have to do all of that yourself. In fact, outsourcing some of the things you need to do might be the best option.
Maid Brigade can take that burden off by cleaning as advised by the CDC to keep your home disinfected and fresh while you’re working from home. With one less thing to worry about, you can free up more time to enjoy with the family and keep well!
