How is our family coping in COVID-19 lockdown?

It’s been a full morning – getting the kiddos up, dressed and fed, making sure they get some “school time” in, making sure I can answer any questions on my school’s online teaching platform, preparing snacks, picking up toys… you get the picture! Being locked-down in your home, with your family, sure has its challenges! How is your family coping?

Here are some of the things we’re doing to get through it, and even make the most of it!

Coping emotionally as a Family

Having this pandemic at the back of your mind all the time can really take its toll. And sometimes you don’t even know it! Maybe your fuse is just so much shorter than usual or you find yourself more emotional than ever, or maybe you’re just. so. tired. How do we get through this?

Personal space and time

Being in lockdown means you’re with each other all the time. You’re never alone. (This is not abnormal if you’re a toddler-mom – you don’t even get to use the toilet alone unless you’re super fast and sneaky, right?!) Not having some alone time can be super emotionally draining!

So what do we do? Tim and I try to share the load as much as possible when he is home, so we both get some time to ourselves. (As a paramedic, and front line worker, we have him home half of the time, the other half he’s out there helping others.) We make the most of nap times and after the kiddos are in bed for the night to get work done or catch a movie or series or even just to sit and have a conversation with each other. Quality time as a couple, to build your relationship, is as important, if not more so, than alone time!

Missing loved ones

And having strong relationships is so important. You don’t realise how much time you spend with other people, and how much you depend on them, til you’re not allowed to, right!?

We message constantly on our family groups, send pictures, do video calls as often as we can. But it’s just not the same. Not being able to be with loved ones is hard.

Our other social gatherings have all moved online too. Our Bible Study / Life Group meets weekly via a popular video chat app. Our church services have all gone online too. And I must confess, beside the fellowship of chatting to people in person and being in the same room as a crowd of people all worshiping in song and prayer, I hear more of the sermon at home than in the cry-room!

Staying positive

It’s is so easy to allow those negative, depressing, anxious thoughts to spiral out of control. Did you also find that when you started to realise the seriousness of the situation?

I think as a mom, you feel like you have to keep it all together for everyone, but especially for your kids. And they need that! They need to know they’re safe and everything is going to be alright, even if everything they’re used to just grinds to a halt!

But find someone you can just let it all out with! And then get positive. What are you thankful for? What are some of the good things you can see coming out of this lockdown thing? Get busy with something you enjoy, something that feeds your soul.

Coping Physically as a Family

I must say, having little kids sure does keep you active – am I right? When last have you sat down in one place for longer than 5 minutes? Staying active and healthy is crucial for coping as a family!

Staying healthy

Stress, isolation and being stuck in one place can wreak havoc on your eating habits!

We’re trying to keep things as normal. We prepare our meals as usual, have snacks ready for the girls when they usually have them at school, try and drink the same amount of coffee and water we would while we’re at work. But snacking on unhealthy things is always a challenge. Best way to stop – just don’t have them in the house!

Healthy eating is so advantageous for so many reasons, from physical to mental to emotional health. (So make the effort Mama – for everyone!)

Keeping active

And so is exercise.

We are not gyming people. Tim will happily take a jog, hike a mountain trail, do anything adventurous to stay fit. Me, I like the comfort and flexibility of exercising in my own home!

So, we’ve scheduled 15-30 minutes of exercise time into our day. What does this look like? Well, we have toddlers so I’m sure you can imagine!?

We put on some kids’ exercise / dance songs. The kids bounce around while I try to do something that resembles Pilates. Often I end up lifting more weight than I intended as a little body slides onto my back while I’m doing a plank, or wants to be picked up while I’m doing squats. Sometimes I have to join in with the actions of the songs!

At least we’re staying active right? Endorphins are released, muscles are moving and getting stronger, joints are getting more flexible. What can I say!

Healthy body, healthy mind

As you can see, the health of our bodies and our minds are so closely linked. And in a time like we’re in, having a healthy mind is vital.

Healthy eating will make your body feel good. Avoiding the “bad stuff” will eliminate that guilt we so often drag ourselves into. Drinking enough water will keep you hydrated, functioning optimally and with a clear head. (And hey! Now you can go pee as often as you like…as long as you don’t mind the spectators – #toddlermom!)

And staying active relieves stress and tension. It is the perfect way to unwind and clear your head, and maybe even have some fun bonding as a family! It doesn’t matter so much what you’re doing, or how long you’re doing it for. What matters is that you enjoy it and you keep on moving!

Coping Practically as a Family

COVID-19 and lockdown has certainly challenged the way we do practical, every-day things! From work and school to shopping and communication, everything has had to be adjusted.

Shopping

I send Tim. He picks up the essentials every couple of days. We’ve only had to do “little” shops up until now. So we’ll definitely be tapping the online system when we have to pick up more than a few groceries at once!

But when all those groceries come home, it’s clean-down time! I do what this doctor suggests as far as possible. Call me paranoid. Call it unnecessary. I call it rather safe than sorry!

Work

Tim’s work as a paramedic continues as normal, except that there’s a whole lot more screening of patients, more precautionary measures and loads of PPE to take into consideration. Not to mention having to be hyper-aware of everything you do while you deal with each call. The job is stressful on any normal day, but during a pandemic, things are cranked up! Think of and pray for our front-line workers! They carry a lot more than any of us can even imagine!

As a teacher, we were able to move our educating onto an online platform! So grateful to have access and experience working with this kind of technology! But it is new and challenging. On the whole I think the kids have loved it though! Maybe not the parents so much!?

But keeping up with school prep, blogging and running my tuition company has me using every spare minute I can find. I’m up early to get an hour or two in before the kids wake up. I use every spare minute of nap time I can afford – the dishes can wait! And, only if I really have to, I use time after the kids go to bed to finish up. (But we try to keep that as quality time for Tim and I).

And having a wonderful, hands-on hubby makes a world difference when I can leave the girls with him for an hour while I catch up on some work. Teamwork guys, its everything!

Homeschooling

The girls’ school teachers have been amazing sending activities and videos so they can keep up with developing the skills and knowledge they need to.

We probably spend about 30 minutes doing “school” – revising colours, shapes, counting, colouring or tracing on a worksheet. All other learning happens during less formal play: fine motor skills activities, gross motor skill activities, revising nursery rhymes. Whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Do I prepare? Oh yes – my kids got a teacher as a mom! Of course I have prep planned for the day. Do stick to it and get it all done today? Nope. But we get through it in the week. Keeping them meaningfully occupied is key! Restless, bored toddlers are a recipe for disaster!

No idea what the future holds

If nothing else, this pandemic has forced us to see how important our families are!

So, while there are loads of stresses, and so many changes, and so much uncertainty, let’s see the good that’s coming out of this thing.

I mean, when last, up until now, have you eaten a meal together as a family, or played a game with your kids, or watched those little toddler legs bounce up and down while they jiggle to the music. When last have you sat on the couch with your husband sipping a cup of coffee, in the middle of the day? Or had an unrushed breakfast with the whole family?

Mama, we have to make the most of this time! That’s the best coping strategy your family could ever employ!

Need some extra encouragement? Check out these Mom Tips (Part 1 and Part 2) just for you!

Photo Credit: The amazing photos of my beautiful family (in the pinterest images) were taken by my very talented, but not-yet-an-official-photographer friend, Kate Jacobs! You’re awesome, Kate! Thank you!<3