When the pandemic first happened I was still working a full time job.
Like a lot of other moms, I don’t think I realized how serious and life changing this historic event would be for so many, including myself.
Without getting into all of the details, the school closure forced us to evaluate what was best for our family and the continued challenges virtual learning would have. We decided it was best for me to transition to becoming a stay-at-home mom.
Of course I love it for so many reasons, the main one being that I am fortunate to be with my family.
The flip side, I had no idea what the heck I was doing at first! My brain was going quarantine crazy!!!
I had no schedule, no clear vision on expectations and no guidance.
And you know what…that’s ok because it helped me push through the tough and know I can tackle anything this new transition had in store for me.
At first, I looked at virtual days with the mindset of let’s just get through the work, the short video classes and then bam you have free rein to watch TV, get on your iPad so I can have a break.
I was exhausted from trying to help with math problems I had no clue about.
I was tired of being the tutor, teacher, cafeteria lady and playmate.
So to me, giving our son free time after everything was done seemed like the best way to go.
That is, until I started to realize something.
The trickle down affect the pandemic was having on what our son was not getting as much.
I was becoming so consumed with just getting through the days, I was neglecting to stop and talk to our son about everyday things he needed to know as he grows up.
He wasn’t getting the life talks he needed to.
While some might say he’s only in 3rd grade, our thought process is that the foundation comes from the home first.
And this is especially critical because he is not in a classroom getting the lessons there, we have to make the time for it.
Because of my ah-ha moment I had with myself, I decided to make sure during certain times certain talks would be easier to have and it wouldn’t seem so painful, so I wanted to share a few of my tips with my fellow mommas.
1. Give a Life Lesson While Playing Games They Love
When our son is playing in Roblox and he’s trying to “buy” something, I give him real-life examples of what he will need to be responsible for when he’s an adult.
The game gives these crazy dollar amounts on how much a house or a car costs, but I talk to him about what a house, apartment or car might cost in real life. We also give him real money and ask him to count it out and tell us how much it is.
What kid wouldn’t be excited to hold and count money! He doesn’t even realize it’s helping him in the long run.
2. Talk About a Live News Event and Ask Questions
Current events on TV don’t always show the light and fuzzy news. Stories on racism and crime are covered more than ever now, so we made it a point to stop and ask our son if he understood what was happening, if he had any questions or feelings about it.
Not all conversations will be easy, but we know that they will most likely be talked about when he’s back in school so we knew it needed to start at home first.
3. Explain Fitness and Health Importance While Playing Something Fun
Have you heard of the quarantine fifteen? A lot of people have been talking about gaining weight while being home and this is not only true for a lot of adults, but for kids that are not able to get out and be active like they use to be at school and in after school programs.
We try to keep him encouraged to stay active by going to the park, racing each other or playing tag and taking things like cones and a speed ladder to do fun drills.
Explaining why we need to continue to exercise is and eat healthy is also important as well as leading by example.
4. Maintain a Positive Attitude No Matter What
With kids staying home, they have been online, FaceTime or video chatting with each other more than usual and I can say from experience, they don’t always get along or have fun!
Someone might want to get off the phone to call another friend, or not be happy with the way a game is going and will hang up or not want to talk anymore.
What a challenge this one can be. But what we do always say to our son is no matter what, stay positive, don’t be a poor sport and have a good attitude.
If one of your friends is not being so nice, remember how that feels and don’t be that way and vice versa.
The pandemic and shut downs have completely had us all frazzled at some point, not focused, and consumed in our own worry that we might forget to think about other things still important.
We are all experiencing this together and sometimes need a little reminder.
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