In a short amount of time, parents have had to pivot their entire lives, becoming homeschoolers and very quickly embrace a new way of living. While we all know that staying home is for the greater good that doesn’t always make it easy. Since we are all in this together, we wanted to hear more from some local moms to get a sense of what they are doing and how they are coping during this tumultuous time.
How These Local Moms are Coping
“There are three things that have been keeping me happy, healthy and sane during the quarantine. The first is maintaining my early morning self-care & mindfulness routines before the kids wake up which includes morning pages, meditation, sometimes it may be a long shower, other mornings it may be a long walk, cutting and grooming my nails or a face mask. Having a chunk of time for myself before the kids’ wake allows me to feel centered and human when spending an entire day with 3 kids 6 and under.
“The next thing that has been what’s been keeping me sane is time blocking my days, particularly where I need time for exercise and to work on my blog. Having the kids and my day time blocked ensure that I’m able to stay on track in getting the important things accomplished. The last thing that’s keeping me feeling great is ensuring I get outside for a 15-30 minute walk (minimum) every morning. Getting the fresh air and movement first thing in the morning has been key to helping me start the day in a positive mental state. What I am still struggling with, as someone who enjoys in-person group fitness, is finding a fitness routine that I’m loving and keeps me accountable. Anyone want an accountability buddy?” -Misha Vayner, mom of 3 and founder of Your Well Guide by Misha Vayner at www.mishavayner.com.
“I’m trying my best to go with the flow. Getting out of the house for a walk or a drive to a new nature spot and seeing my kids run freely brings me happiness. I feel lucky to not be alone during this time and have definitely been giving my daughters extra snuggles. Having extra time to craft and create is also something I’ve been enjoying.” –Robin Blauschild Buco, mom of 2, owner of All Together Now and founder of Robin Eden Photo.
“I’m finding calm in running. I’m not a runner but I have been looking forward to my daily runs and walks all by myself to help center my mind. I have also been learning how to cook complicated things like soup dumplings and croissants. Next up sourdough bread!” –Maria Colaco, mom of 3 and founder of The New York Mom
“As a family with two daughters, we’ve been leaning heavily on craft projects during quarantine – including sets we’ve had lying around the house (thank goodness for unopened holiday presents), as well as ordering a few adorable take-home DIY kits from local businesses. We also started watching an episode a day of LEGO Master on Fox together as a family after dinner. It’s an adorable show and having it become part of our new normal routine has been soothing.” – Marissa Millman, mom of 2 and founder of Donuts at the Disco
“Going outside is a cure-all – I’m so grateful for sunny days. I try for art projects often, to get a lot of sleep each night, and truthfully what’s been the best is to give up control and expectations. That has taken two weeks to figure out! I’ve done a lot of yelling which I’m working on… Thank goodness for meditation and red wine.” Sara Annapolen, mom of 2 and founder of Sara Joy.
“We always make a special breakfast together- and make it an activity. Pancakes from scratch or BEC sandwiches and kids learned to brew coffee for mom! Then we go out to Gedney Park or North County Trail and kids ride their bikes while mom runs alongside them. If raining, they go on our Peloton bike or walk/jog on the Peloton treadmill. We go back home for lunch and watch TV {Peppa Pig and Super Sonic}. Then we do arts and crafts- our favorite now is playing with our Mynt 3D pens! You can make 3D objects, so fun!
The bad is the rain and Mom still has to work full time (from home) 4 days a week! Luckily, my job is so flexible and allowed me to take one day a week off till kids go back to schools–if they ever do.” – Giselle Gaur, mom of 2.
“Something I’m doing nowadays is planning my next day a little better. Everything from meals to activities are thought through previously to feel like we have some control in this chaos. I have two toddlers that need to be constantly entertained so having a routine and activities to do, are key. I rotate their toys weekly so they feel new to them and include the kids in my day to day chores like cooking and folding laundry. Giving them simple tasks like mixing the batter or finding the matching socks makes them feel included and brings simple joys to the task at hand.” Gloria Didonato, mom of 2 and founder of Living La Vita Mama.
“We are finding calm and release in the storm through Qigong shaking classes we are holding. Deb and her mentor Thomas Droge are hosting them almost every morning at 10 am through our website. Also, in the spirit of Chinese medicine, when the house gets fiery and tensions are rising, we drink a lot of water and take walks outside to counteract the anxiety in the house. Getting out in nature is so soothing for the body and the mind!” Deb Ross and Michelle Zipper, mothers and co-founders of The Well Center.
