This Sucks...but let's make the most out of it

I don't know about you, but I really miss the days when "Corona" referred to a cold, refreshing, summer beer garnished with a lime slice. I don't need to get into the details of why this whole pandemic situation sucks, because it's obvious. But I will share with you the details of how we, as a family, are preparing to make the most out of this crappy situation.

Thankfully I work from home, so I don't need to worry about childcare. I feel for those who don't have the same luxury. I also feel for the small business owners who will take a major hit from all of this (so as a side note, while you are doing your last minute top up shopping, consider checking if you can get the items you need from small local businesses and stores as opposed to the big name corporations. The CEOs of Walmart and Target are not losing any sleep over this debacle. I can assure you that your neighbours and community members who own small bussiness are.)

Back to my main topic of this post- which is how we plan to "survive" the COVID-19 Pandemic of 2020! The truth is, I am not worried about the virus itself. I am not in the high risk category for chances of being infected. What I AM worried about is my SANITY. Both kids will be home from school for the next 3 weeks (at least). All extracurricular activities have been cancelled. We are practicing social distancing which means we basically aren't leaving the house unless its absolutely necessary. 2 kids...6 and 4 years old...at home...around me... Twenty.Four.Seven. And to top things off...I decided to give up alcohol two weeks ago. I feel like I'm living in an episode of "The Good Place" and I'm in my own version of hell!

Hahaha, okay that's a little extreme. I do not feel like I am in hell with both my kids. I love them dearly and they give me multiple reasons to smile and feel grateful every single day. But I am human and I have my limits. I can only listen to my son explain every single thought he has for so many hours before my brain is exhausted. I can only clean up my ensuite vanity so many times a day due to daughter sneaking in and playing with my expensive makeup...and getting it EVERYWHERE. I can only bite my tongue so many times before a cuss word slips after I step on dinky cars and lego blocks that are strewn about EVERYWHERE.

It's been 1 and a half days so far of being home with the kids. So far we've baked and decorated sugar cookies. We've watched Peter Pan. We've coloured, and we've worked on some math activity sheets I've printed off on Pinterest. That took up approximately 5 hours out of 32. Ughhhhh. This will be a loooong few weeks. So Sean and I got talking and we both agreed that the best course of action for this time period is to keep our kids as consistent with their current routine as possible. Since I won't be able to work with my private care client (he usually comes over and hangs out at our house 3-4 times a week) I have my days free to focus on the kids. We're decided to implement "homeschool". Basically I set up a structured schedule for each day filled with the work they are currently doing when at school.

I was going to let this first week be a "free for all" for the kids since technically it is their March break this week, but when they saw me typing up their daily routine they begged me to start following it today!

It got me thinking. Maybe this whole pandemic is the perfect opportunity for a "reset". Maybe it will force me to have more discipline in my own routine and help me create better habits in order to hit the goals I have for myself. While the kids are following their daily "homeschool" schedule I will also be following my own "productivity" schedule. This pandemic just may be the perfect opportunity to teach myself proper discipline in areas of my life that I have totally slacked! We'll have to see the outcome in a fews weeks! If you are considering following a school based schedule with your kids during this pandemic and would like a copy of my "Homeschool Schedule" leave a comment, or shoot me an email (via the 'contact us' form!).

Also, if you are typically a gym goer and you're wondering how you are going to keep fit while not being able to access the gym, ask me about my "Fitness at Home" options! I have some free workouts I can send you that will help you stay on track without having to leave the house! Again, just hit up the 'contact us' form to request some workouts! It's literally as simple as clicking a link that I'll send you. No sign up, no email subscriptions, no obligations...just free access to some kick ass work outs! In the mean time, take care of your health! Wash your hands, eat immunity boosting foods, and please for the love of all humanity- STAY AWAY FROM EACH OTHER!

xOx,

Mallory