Up and down, up and down. I’m terrified, I’m calm. I’m anxious, I’m relieved. I know I’m not alone when I say I’m having some very mixed feelings.
However, knowing that healthy and low-risk people are willing to embrace social distancing for the sake of others is a big win for Love First. And for our family, at least, the silver lining is the forced slowing down that we’ve needed – and craved – for a long, long time.
All that said, the struggle is real for parents trying to do what’s best right now, so there is no judgement about how you’re handling work, childcare, and your sanity. As two working parents with three children under 10, this is what we hope will get us through the next week as we learn more and watch this unfold.
Our family thrives on routine, and we can’t wait to – finally – incorporate some things that we’ve been too busy to do. Reminiscing over old photographs, revisiting untouched board games, building that fort with the kids that you always thought you’d do as a mom but never found time to do because you’re busy cleaning, laundering, and managing a house that – turns out – takes a whole lot more time and energy than you ever imagined.
Wait. Where was I?
So, if you’re like us, and you’ve been meaning to incorporate things into your family life, now is a great time to do it. Especially if you’ve been worrying about raising loving, caring children. Now is a great time to reconnect with your children, have meaningful conversations with them, and reach out to help others who are isolated and lonely.
Below is our plan, adapted from Jessica McHale Photography, that includes two things that – for us, anyway – need to be incorporated into our daily routine: 1. thinking about and reaching out to others who are isolated and at-risk, and 2. focusing on strengthening our family, slowing things down, and taking time to do things that we’ve needed to do for a long while.
Although this is designed for children 6 and up who still need guidance and supervision, please adapt as you see fit, increasing or decreasing time to best accommodate your situation. Just make sure you leave room for love. We have plenty of time for that!