Surviving at Home with the Kids

10 Tips from a Stay at Home Mom of 4

1.  Expect more of a mess.

It must surely be a wonderful thing if you do not have a messy child(ren).  However, four out of my four are quite catastrophic.  There may be toys everywhere and a constant load of laundry, but I implore all parents to try their best to not be too strict during all this time at home.  It will not be worth it. However, stick to any routines that you may have already had. We always practice a before bath cleanup.  This is nothing more than going around the house gathering up all the toys that have been left everywhere and simply placing it in a basket with no rhyme or reason, solely to get it out of the way.  (My kids are still very young after all.)  If you have older kids just expect more mess since they will be home all day, everyday.  I’m not saying embrace it because one day you will miss it when they are gone.  Insert rolling my eyes emoji. I believe you will miss your kids, not their mess.  Make sure to wash your hands after making and picking up a mess.

2.  Make sure you have food... and beverages.

Seriously, this should be a no brainer.  All the fave snacks, bought in bulk, and maybe a few special ones too.  Let them be involved in the kitchen when they want one.  This is so simple yet keeps my littles entertained and happy for a decent amount of time.  Rice crispy treats, cookies, cheese on crackers, fruit kabobs, whatever your kids like.  Let them stir, let them lick, let them sit and watch if they are too small.  Lots of snacks and time in the kitchen can make up a very large portion of a stay at home mom’s day. Food is fun for everyone! Perhaps I included beverages for you parents out there, just saying it could really help take the edge off at the end of the day, or by noon. We did promise not to judge. Always wash your hands before and after handling food and beverage items.

3.  Go outside when the weather permits.

The great outdoors may be just what the doctor ordered.  Some vitamin D is excellent for the human body.  Something about fresh air also helps to calm the senses.  So when little Joey is screaming at the top of his lungs, take a reprieve.  Take a walk, stroll, run.  Play on the backyard swingset or in the sandbox.  If it is warm, get in the water- the waterhose is so much fun for kids. If it is cold, bundle up and just let them run free for a few minutes.  When you come back inside, wash your hands.

4.  Allow more screen time.

I know this is really hard for some of you, but do you really think a little more tv or ipad time is going to hurt anyone.  Do yourself a favor and just let them watch another episode or another movie even.  Your day is full of battles and if watching too much tv could kill you I would have died a long time ago.  If you are concerned about it, just make sure it is all educational.  After you turn on the tv, wash your hands, again.

5.  Have a tentative schedule.

This would look something like this: Breakfast, play, nap, lunch, play, nap, play, dinner, bath, bed.  Obviously the naps apply to the kids and maybe they only take one.  That said, you get it.  Snacks get thrown in whenever the natives grow restless.  Play time can be filled with learning and not so strict schooling.  Colors, numbers, and how to spell your name are all important, but learning during imaginitive play can also be important.  Superheroes and dinosaurs are what our boys are into nowadays, which makes for some interesting encounters. Wash your hands during every schedule transition.

6. Start a project, hobby, exercise or do some arts & crafts.

Organize closets, sew, paint, walk, run, the list is endless and there are so many tutorials on ‘How to ____’ right at your fingertips.  Before you were home so much you may have felt you did not have time or simply did not want to make time.  There are no excuses right now.  These are good for mental and physical health.  You will be teaching your kids how to channel their boredom into productivity. Doing art projects with the kids may be messy, but it takes up time and the finished products are usually very cute keepsakes. You could even mail them to their grandparents! Create a hobby of washing your hands after all of this fun.

7.  Clean and do yard work.

Just keeping the house clean with little ones is really enough to keep you busy through this whole pandemic.  I do not mean the mess that they make everyday, all day.  I am talking about the bathrooms, the floors, dusting ceiling fans, wash the blinds, the mounds of laundry, oiling the wood floors/cabinets.  The list is endless really. There is always cleaning to be done.  We do not need to bring cleaning people into our homes at this time, so if you have had that luxury, try to keep up by yourself and you will find you have more than enough to keep you busy.  For those of you that grumbled over housework, maybe you like being outdoors?  While the kids play you could pull the weeds, trim the hedges, rake up leaves, clean the outside of the windows, shovel snow, etc.  It does not have to all get done in one day right now.  Definitely wash your hands when you are done with the work.

8.  Start a journal or photo album.

Writing is a great way to channel anxiety, fear, and uncertainty.  It is also a wonderful way to preserve memories.  We may never experience something of this caliber ever again, and let’s pray we don’t. Being able to preserve it in some way would be pretty awesome for our littles when they get older and ask what we did during these trying times.  Be sure to record all the cute, funny, and embarrassing things your kids do for use during their teen years. There are journals with photo pages in them if you like photo albums too!  Remember all of the photos in your camera roll that needed to be printed out? Now is a great time to do something with them. There are so many photo- print/book/wall art apps out there to make this easy and fun!  After using a pen and touching photos, wash your hands, again.

9.  Read/listen to books.

I can not tell you how much I get wrapped up in a good book.  If you already enjoy reading, make a book list and try to get through it.  If you do not do digital books and do not feel comfortable ordering new ones, make a list of old books to reread.  If you don’t like to read, try audible books.  There are plenty of apps that offer a lot of choices!  The great thing about an audio book is that you can listen to it while you clean, exercise, cook, etc.  Also, read to your kids or encourage them to read.  It can be indirectly educational even if what they are reading is fictional. Once you put that book/kindle down, wash your hands.

10.  Stay home.

Honestly, just try your best to stay home without going completely bonkers.  If you or a family member has to work, be vigilant in containing the germs that come home with you.  Otherwise, only go out for necessities and be considerate of others. If you are working from home, just try your best, because I know this one is probably the most challenging.  Call/skype/facetime your loved ones that you can not visit right now, especially those that are older and extremely compromised.  No one will care if you did not make it through the homeschooling packets or if your kids watched a bunch of television. Try to enjoy the fun times and focus on the positives.  If you know someone that needs something, help them if you can.  Remember to be grateful for the things you have and for your health.  Pray for those that are working, those in need, and those infected. Relax, have a drink, play with and love on your babies. And please, do not forget to wash your hands.