As a working mother of two, this year has certainly been an adventure. Who knew when 2020 began that the term social distancing and wearing face coverings would be the new normal.
In February, I turned 40, which seemed incredible since I was heading into a new decade. To me, age is just a number. It doesn't define who you are. On February 8-14, 2020, Dave and I enjoyed some relaxation time on the beach in Cabo with my brother and his wife.
Two weeks later, the world seemed to shut down. Restaurants, gyms and schools all closed. When my kids asked how long this would last, I had no answer for them. We have never been through a pandemic before, so we were both seeing it for the first time.
Having small kids, I often ask them what they think of situations. It helps me put things into perspective. How do they see things? What do they think of a problem? I still often wonder how long this will last. I keep hoping and praying that 2020 is the end of it all, but will it be?
As a working parent, we have been put into situations, which has caused a lot of stress.
- How do we keep the job we love while still giving it 110 percent effort?
- How do we educate our kids during a hybrid model, when they should be learning these things at school?
- How do we as parents hold it together, so our kids don't see we are stressed?
- When will "date nights" go back to normal, so married couples can enjoy quality time together?
- When can we go back to the "normal" we once knew when 2020 began?
- When can we go out in public without wearing a face covering?
- Will our places of employment continue to work with us, if we need to take time off to educate our kids during this hybrid model?
You see, the questions above are what stress other parents and me alike out. There are many times I have just cried, hoping it will all end. Thankfully, I have a fantastic group of friends to lean on during this time. In 2020, many parents are wearing multiple hats. They are a working full-time, trying to remember how to do simple math from third grade (today it's done differently than the way I learned it), mentor, and teach basic life skills, while praying life get's back to the normal we once knew.
So as a stressed-out parent, I would ask this of you.
- Be kind to one another and help teach our kids kindness.
- If you read a social media post on a friend's page, before commenting negatively, please take a step back. Their situation is probably much different than yours. What works for your family may not work for theirs.
- Say something positive to someone each day.
- Reach out to those friends or family and ask how they are genuinely doing. Sometimes, they need a good friend or family member to talk to.
- Laugh! My kids remind me of this often. They will say, "Mom, it's okay to have fun and not always work."
- Spend quality time with family doing things that will create "memories" that will last a lifetime.
- Get a workout in each day. Trust me, it will help with your mental health. I miss my fitness attendees more than they will ever know.
I hope these words help create some love in this world as we know it today. If each of us chooses kindness each day, it will make our world a better place.
