I use the phrase "work" very loosely, as this whole shelter-in-place thing we're doing in California is hard. Considering that I have a young child, I'm still expected to work the best I can, and I need to protect my sanity, I'm really trying to establish a routine and keep trucking along. I put together a list of what has helped me through this last week, so I thought I'd share. Obviously everyone's resources, demands, interests, philosophies, etc... are different, but this is what has worked for me so far:
Homeschool- I'll talk more about what I'm really doing in a different post, but we're doing school Monday thru Friday from about eight-ish to between one or two. I know that there's a lot of different thoughts about this floating around on social media, but I'm a credentialed teacher (I can teach high school English, Biology, and elementary school) and feel very equipped to help my son stay on track, if not get ahead. It's good for both of us and I've had fun blending interactive activities and more traditional workbooks and such.
Work- I have two main things that I am doing: trying to grade everything I brought home, since I was incredibly behind before we left, and creating new content to deliver on Google Classroom on the book we are studying. I have solid participation from my kids so far, so I'm really happy. I grade when Sawyer is working on things he can do independently during his school day, during his rest time in the afternoon, and just whenever I can squeeze it in.
Walking outside- We take recess breaks so Sawyer can ride his scooter around the block and then we take an hour walk late in the morning or early afternoon for some serious exercise.
Real exercise- Most nights I do yoga, run on the treadmill, or do incline walking. I try to get in at least 12,000 steps a day and lately on average closer to 15,000.
Connecting with friends- Every single day I check in with people, and people check in with me. I've been using the Marco Polo app, Facetime, Instagram, and just plain old texting. It has been incredibly important!
Having a daily to-do list- This is a time where we are very powerless. For me, dictating what I'm doing during the day and holding myself accountable helps a lot. I haven't jumped into any huge projects, yet, since we're going to be here awhile (but yes, I can see caulk and shelving paper in my future...). When I don't feel productive I get depressed, so this is really important for me to do every single day.
Do fun things- Bake, read, craft, blog, whatever! I'm being strategic- I usually save baking for the weekends, so cookies are going down tomorrow. Sawyer is super excited for a new LEGO set that we have from Christmas still, and we also said we could make a tent fort in his room. I bought a TON of new art and craft kits for him and I plan on bringing out one or so a weekend so we have those as options, too.
This isn't to say I don't have my moments. I try really hard to have it together all day when Sawyer is up, but sometimes I do get bummed out at night. My worst moment was canceling our annual spring break Yosemite trip the other day. I did it online and was basically heartbroken, but when I called the next day to inquire about the refund the nice man reminded me that they weren't going anywhere and they'd see me again later in 2020. So true. I feel sad reading about all the stories of people being laid off, mad about the squabbles over relief packages, and anxious as I watch the stock ticker each day. I am also staying up way too late and am still up by seven at the latest, which I know is a slippery slope for my ability to stay relatively happy.
I am so thankful for my job, my son, and the fact that we can still order things online.
How are you? What are you doing to survive?
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