Welcome to Remote Work & Staying Sane During Covid-19 Crisis

As a full time, work at home mom for the past 10 years, welcome to my world everyone! With Covid-19 utterly shutting down our country, I’m grateful I can work remotely. Those of you joining the work at home gang I have some advice for you.

1. Have a schedule and stick to it - same goes for the kids. I will be spending my weekend setting up an hourly curriculum of sorts to keep the kiddos busy including school work, play time, crafts, conditioning (for the gymnast), outside time, and screen time. The plan also includes doing a research project, book report, and learning outside by planting vegetables and such. All it takes is one spreadsheet to get you going and keep on task.
2. Start your work early in the morning so you can justifiably have a few hours in the late afternoon for down time or to hang with the kids. The kids are going to want to be with you and play with you. Bake that time into the schedule so you’re not feeling guilty and them resentful.
3. Plan screen time around conference calls. It's the best way to have complete quiet/focus. Screen time should be closely monitored and controlled in my opinion. Save it for when you really need it.
4. If the opportunity allows, run to the dollar store or dollar general and get some new items to keep them entertained. When you need peace or quiet for work, throw them a new coloring book or activity they haven't seen before to spark interest.

During this time specific to the Covid-19 threat, my plans also include:

1. No play dates. Do virtual hangouts. I'm going to ask my kids' friends' parents for times and let them Skype or FaceTime to "play virtually". This will be our social interaction and I know it will help.
2. Keep "school" hours. No sleeping in or staying up late. No pajamas all day, every day. Keep some part of normal.
3. Lots of outside energy time allows for proper rest time after lunch so keep that “rest” time after lunch for your piece of mind and theirs.
4. If your child has an extracurricular activity, I plan to still do that but at home. They are missing soccer practice? Do “soccer practice” at the same day/time but at home and make a family event. If you don’t have equipment, conditioning is always fun and easy. My kids love conditioning. We have a conditioning dice ball and they roll it to see what they can do. Pushups, running, jumping jacks, etc. You can simply do this with popsicle sticks or using something online. Get your kids moving, it’s important!

It’s more important than ever that we keep social distancing so we don’t spread this nasty thing far and wide. Please do what’s right for your family and for those around you and stay home. We may all go a little insane there is a light at the end of the tunnel, I promise.

Find my school plan for my kids here to copy or share.