Working from home since March 18th has been many things.
A mess. An opportunity to stay on top of housework (ha). A nice, short commute. Relaxing early mornings (no rush!). Stressful late mornings (hangry toddler). And of course, rejoicing at nap time.
Fortunately, (I think), both my husband and I have been working from home full-time. He was encouraged to stay home early on, but is able to schedule lab time if needed. At my workplace, it varies based on department, job, and situation. Since I’m pregnant – due early October – I have opted to work from home. But as we all know, working from home isn’t just working at home. Being without childcare or having family nearby makes it all exponentially more taxing.
Our boy turned two mid-March and since then, he has changed so much. He has become much more aware of EVERYTHING, his vocabulary has exploded, and he is so active. Though it’s fun to be front row for all these changes, it is not easy to keep up with him and our jobs. But we are managing!
So in honor of managing, here are a few things that have helped keep me sane over the last few months…
My 6th-grade sticker collection
In unpacking the many boxes that were stored at my parents’ house, I found my sticker collection from childhood. I set it aside thinking it would be fun for the kiddo when he was a little older. At some point during the first month, I brought those babies back out and just let him have at the entire box – probably around 100 sheets of stickers. Since that time, he’s used about half, just pulling them off and sticking them to other pieces of paper and occasionally the floor. It keeps him busy and quiet.
A weekly meetings meeting
Every week, sometime between Thursday and Sunday, my husband and I have a meetings meeting. We sit down and go over our meetings for the upcoming week, making sure we have zero that overlap (exception is naptime). If it’s an important one that requires no interruptions, we make sure to mention this so the other person knows to keep our two-year-old coworker far away. Added bonus: it gives us blocks on our calendar so we’re not in back to back meetings all day long.
Baking sessions.
They break up the day if he’s getting antsy. I get at least 30 minutes to work with my hands and a warm treat at the end. And surprise – he’s a star at cracking eggs.
A couple of favorites: chocolate chip cookies, rainbow cake, no-knead bread, Nutella banana bread.
Slip-on shoes.
Hello, independence. He can open up the door and head out for a good solo soccer sesh in the backyard. These are becoming more and more frequent!
Magazine subscriptions.
I’ve gotten a couple since moving back to the states. Not being able to go anywhere or pick one up on a whim, the magazines that arrive in my mailbox are a fun distraction and they give me ideas for good eats, things to buy, and new projects.
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Other moms – working moms, non-working moms, pregnant moms, toddler moms – what little things are helping you get through the days?
