We are on day two of quarantine over here, it’s a weird sense knowing we shouldn’t leave the house unless we’re getting essential items, and I remember the stages of both panic and excitement at the thought of making a to-do list and actually getting it done. That excitement has quickly faded as I realized, I don’t actually want to do the million things I thought I did, and now find myself in an ethical dilemma about siting around playing monster trucks all day, or actually getting our lives together.
For reference here is my quarantine to-do list:
- Potty train Ezra
- Organize the boys room
- Organize our closet
- Organize the boys closet
- Get caught up on laundry
- Get curriculum done for June
- Read a couple books
- Crib train Oliver
- Toy rotation set up
- Get back into a work out routine
What actually is happening.
Now I know it’s only day two, but let me tell you, I have yet to work anything but my mouth muscles as I eat all the snacks in the house. Ezra has zero interest in potty training, Ollie is perfectly content with our current co-sleeping arrangement, and no closets have been touched. I know what you’re thinking, “we have no idea how long this things gonna go, take it easy” and to that I say, believe you me, I am. The idea of being productive during my mandated COVID-19 vacation just kind of stresses me out.
The Upside.
Let’s look at this another way, when in our life will we ever get to spend two weeks (or more) together to just be a family. We had dinner at the table for the first time in a while, a homemade dinner that we all enjoyed, and it was amazing! We then followed up our dinner with tub time, then some family karaoke and a dance party! It was amazing to just spend the night together doing family things, without the pressure of getting stuff done for the next day. It’s hard to fight the guilt of not being productive every second of everyday, especially when you’re used to working, going to school, doing all the adult things that we for whatever reason are told we have to do, and now it’s all on pause.
There are no alarm clocks, there’s no work clothes, no packing a lunch, it’s beautiful. We are able to actually play together, not just try and cram in two hours of mom and kid time a day, we’re interacting together, we’re having less tantrums, the stress level is getting lower by the minute and it’s actually a great time.
The End Result.
Will I get everything on the list done before life returns to normal? Probably not, will I feel bad about it? Also probably not. This weird stay in your house life is showing me just how fast paced our life has gotten and how much we miss everyday because of it. When was the last time you were able to make pancakes for breakfast and actually eat them? Enjoy your coffee hot somewhere that wasn’t behind the steering wheel on the way into work? When was the last time you had a family movie night or let the little ones stay up just a little later because they we’re having such a good time just being a kid?
This time is for being productive as a family just as much as being productive and getting projects done. Take the time to enjoy your family, although this virus is terrifying and will likely change the world as we know it, spend all the time with your family for the first time in a long time. Slow down, calm down, and just take it all in, if it’s worth anything laundry will continue to pile up after quarantine, but time with your little ones will only continue to speed by.
New England Mama 