I barely have words right now for this situation. Just when it seemed motherhood in the 21st century couldn’t get any more intense, here comes a global pandemic. People are up in arms and feeling anxious—if you’re a parent, you are probably feeling all of that times 10.
We quickly realized this thing is a lot more serious than we thought, and hunkering down is the order of the month (or longer). And although I want to provide you with some really good resources and fun activities to do with your kids, I can’t say that is my biggest priority.
First and foremost, I want to encourage you to take whatever pressure you are feeling to be a perfectly scheduled, homeschool guru with countless educational activities off of yourself immediately. The last thing we or our kids need right now is added pressure or self-imposed stipulations of how we should act in a crisis. I can assure you that even if your little ones do not fill out a single worksheet and watch Frozen II 30 times over the next few weeks, they will not lose their intelligence. If there is pertinent school work to be done, you will hear from their teachers.
I understand kids do well with structure, and I understand that some parents operate best being Type A. I also know it’s stressful overall, and so many people need support mentally and financially. I feel it in my own ways, and I am not taking that away from you. But in my personal, unprofessional and truly-caring-about-my-fellow-moms opinion, if there ever was a time that you didn’t have to be addicted to productivity, that you could focus a little more on the important things, that you could spend a few hours lying in the grass with your kids, that time is now. Take it if you can. Let’s let it change us for the better; let’s let this be an opportunity to invest in our children beyond the usual school work and schedules.
I know that we will emerge from this stronger than ever. And although it will be hard and chaotic (and we may slightly lose our minds some days at home), we will not ever get this focused time with our kids back. As moms, I think we can turn this awful situation into something beautiful in our homes that really could change us forever. We need to allow some freedom and space to be with our families and reconnect in a way that 21st-century distractions have taken away from us.
On social media, I hear a lot of people talking. What I don’t see or feel is a lot of people listening. And in this weird time, I want to focus on listening the best I can: listening to my kids, to my husband and close friends, to fellow moms feeling this. And hopefully I can encourage you all to do the same. If you are feeling anxious, want to vent, or want to leave words of encouragement, join one of the many amazing local mom groups on Facebook. I help run Moms Together Stl atfacebook.com/groups/MomsTogetherSTL/. You can log on to share thoughts or ask questions. If you are looking for books or resources by age group, I have created a list on my blog at kyleandkatelyn.com/kidactivities.
I’m always thinking about you guys, always here to listen. If you have topics you want to see in this column, email me at katelynyoung87@yahoo.com.
Katelyn Young is a local mom of three (her #crumblycrew) who shares real moments of motherhood as it relates to fashion, food and fun! Follow her on Instagram at @_katelynyoung_ or follow her blog at thebejuledlife.com.