5 realistic tips to survive “social distancing” with kids at home

Unfortunately, social distancing is upon us. As if being isolated and scared wasn’t hard enough, having the kids home all day long adds an extra layer of anxiety to the coronavirus quarantine, especially if they are at school age.

5 tips to help you stay positive during social distancing:

1 – Free yourself from guilt.

Especially when you feel annoyed, angry, tired, worried, secretly wishing you could send the kids somewhere else. It sucks! So, if screen time is the only thing that keeps them quiet, be thankful for having screens, games, YouTube and Netflix! Being safe and sane is all that matters now!

2 – Try to go a day at a time as much as you can

This is all new. For everyone. So there will be a learning curve and no one really has all the answers. Last month we were living our normal lives, this week we are social distancing. We don’t really know about the next weeks, so let’s try to go a day at a time as much as we can! Remember: this too shall pass!

3 – Find a new routine/system that works for your lifestyle.

Even if that means no routine at all. You have your own lifestyle and habits. Maybe you are the organized neat Monica Geller type of mom, but you may also be the “as long as everybody is still breathing we are fine” mom. Therefore, if you have a perfect schedule, great. If you don’t have any, that’s great too. If you love cooking natural plant-based meals, great. If you don’t, great. You already have to adapt a lot of changes to your routine. Stick to your comfort zone as much as you can.

4 – **You don’t have to entertain your kids all the time.**

Yes, dear, you are not a TV host on duty and even they have commercial breaks ;)! You are not supposed to entertain another human being 100% of the time. Some level of boredom is actually good for kid’s brain development because that’s when they have the chance to create new solutions and new perspectives. I know it’s easier said than done, but now is the time to practice it! The kids can play by themselves for a while or they can binge watch TV, whatever works on that day. Babies can profit from it as well. As long as they are safe, in a controlled environment, they can play with their hands, with their toys or lay on their play mats for a while. This is the best time to lower your expectations towards yourself and your parenting style.

5 – Ask for help if you need it.

There is nothing wrong with feeling desperate or angry sometimes, as long as these feelings don’t prevent you from seeing the big picture: this is temporary! We are all in this together. From the Hollywood celebrity to our neighbors, we all want to be safe and want this to go away as soon as possible. So, if you feel like you can’t handle it, call for help. We are so lucky we have technology nowadays! Here is what you can do:

Set Zoom meetings with your friends.
Have remote book club meetings.
Set remote play dates for the kids. Maybe it works, maybe it doesn’t. Who knows?
Call your parents, friends, and relatives (the ones you really like, of course).
Avoid “perfect lives“ Instagrams, if it gives you any negative feelings.
Avoid the news, if it gives you any negative feelings as well.