We loved the honesty of this post by Sabrina Rogers-Anderson about her experience during the pandemic. Like Sabrina, I think many parents have had ups and downs being at home for the past few months with their children. We love the perspective and positive lessons she learned during COVID-19 that she plans to implement after it. Read here, the lessons that Sabrina learned in quarantine that she wants to carry on.
When all this is said and done, I want to be a mom who…
1. SLOWS DOWN AND APPRECIATES THE SMALL MOMENTS
You know that racing feeling in your chest when you’re picking the kids up from school or day care and you’re scrolling through your to-do list in your mind? Pack lunches, make dinner, finish that report for work, fold the laundry, call the plumber… then you realize that your child has been telling you about something awesome they learned at school, but you haven’t heard a word of it. Ugh.
That feeling sucks and I’m going to try my best to be mindful and appreciate the small moments with my kids. If they want to watch a cool bug for 20 minutes while we’re out for a walk, I’ll get my work done when they’re asleep. Those are the moments you never get back.
2. YELLS LESS AND HUGS MORE
I’m not proud that I sometimes yell at my kids. I hate it. But now that I look back on the sheer amount of stress and pressure that I had in my life in the past few years, I can see why I did it. My emotional bucket was full to the brim and every extra drop made it overflow. I’ve been feeling so much calmer in the past couple of months and my hugs have been much more frequent than my outbursts. I’m going to do everything in my power to keep it that way. Exercise, meditation, phone chats with friends and other self-care practices will help me get there.
3. SEES THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEARNING IN EVERYDAY LIFE
One morning about a month into lock down, I was out for a walk with my girls. “What’s THAT!?” I heard one of my twins exclaim. I looked down to see a long chain of fuzzy caterpillars making its way across the sidewalk. I cursed myself for not bringing my phone to take photos and google the strange phenomenon.
But then I realized that a beautiful learning opportunity was right there in front of me and I asked my girls why they thought the caterpillars had formed a chain. “They’re going for a walk” said one and “They’re trying to find food” said another. When we got home, we looked it up and found that the caterpillars were on a mission to find a good place to bury themselves in the ground and form cocoons. The girls were so excited to tell their dad what we’d seen and I was so grateful for that unforgettable moment in the school of life.
4. SAYS “NO” TO TOO MANY COMMITMENTS
No, I can’t be on the PTA. No, we can’t go out to dinner on Saturday. No, I won’t be able to meet that deadline. No, we can’t fit in a play date this week. The world won’t stop turning because I don’t say “yes” to everything, but my family’s world will turn a little slower and everyone will be happier.
5. EMBRACES MESS AND CHAOS
With five of us working, homeschooling, and playing from home full-time, the house was a disaster. By the end of the day, the floors were covered in toys and costumes, the bathroom looked like a bomb had gone off in it, and a disturbing number of apple cores were strewn around the house. I’m far from being a neat freak, but this level of chaos would normally make me anxious. Not during COVID, though – my little helpers banded together at the end of every day and helped me clean it all up. The lock down taught my daughters a sense of responsibility for the state of our home and brought us together as a family.
6. POSTS “REAL” MOMENTS ONLINE
Although I’ve been posting about the real and raw moments of parenthood on my professional Facebook page for years, I really enjoyed seeing more people abandon filters and fake positive attitudes in favor of real photos and genuine emotions during COVID-19. It made me want to continue my quest to be as real as possible (even if it makes me uncomfortable as hell at times) because I know it’s a great life lesson for my daughters.
I’m not going to be a perfect mom when life goes back to normal, but I hope I can keep parenting from the heart because that’s all my children really need from me. And the truth is that I need it too…
source: The Tot