So, parents out there... tell me, how's it going? Are you feeling like Supermum and Superdad, totally on top of this working a full time job, home schooling and entertaining your children lark? Or has overwhelm set in? Are you working every hour of the evening to catch up on missed work?
First of all, please give yourself a break. Nobody signed up for this. You are not alone and you should know that you are doing a great job. Hopefully the below tips will help you get through the rest of lockdown, feeling like a weight has been lifted!
1. To get you through this in a calm and balanced manner, let planning and organisation be your friend. Before you draw up that plan, look at the energy levels of everyone in the house. By now, you have probably figured out when your kids work at their most productive and energetic selves. You probably also know what they are really good at doing by themselves and what they will need your support doing. Use this knowledge like it's your secret weapon when planning what will happen throughout the day.
2. Agree a plan with your kids. Involve them in your time-tabling and daily organisation - this gives them a sense of control and ownership over the daily routine and will ultimately help with keeping up strong family relationships.
3. Agree a plan with your team/manager etc. It's important that you don't miss a vital work call because you are figuring out fractions with your kids. Agree with your colleagues the times that work for both sides to be available to take calls, attend zoom meetings and give quick responses.
4. Accept that you may not be able to work at your normal rate. In fact, it's quite likely that you will not squeeze in an 8 hour day, home school your children and look after your self-care all at the same time. This really is all about acceptance - the work never goes away but your well-being can disappear quicker than you think and be replaced with stress and burnout. Working every evening after your kids go to bed to play catch up is not the answer to surviving lock-down. Organisations understand what families are going through in these difficult times and if they don't, perhaps it's time to have an open and frank discussion with your manager. You need to switch off, so if you work during the day, don't continue into the late hours. Working some evenings might be a necessity, agree those ahead of time with your partner so you both know when you can spend time together.
5. Accept there will be good days and bad days, ups and downs. There are days when your plan will work like a dream and others when extreme tiredness, lock-down fever - whatever you want to call it - set in and it's just a major off day. Don't beat yourself up about these days. It's best to just go with the flow.
6. Don't forget about family fun time. This isn't over just because you've been forced to split your parenting time between being a teacher and being a mum and dad. Your children still need you to be silly with them, play sports and games and engage in activities with them. Children learn so much through arts and crafts, Lego, baking and board games. They just don't think of it as learning, but playing with their parents.
7. Look after your self-care - I know it's not easy and I'm not typing this thinking it will be a piece of cake. But 24 hours a day around your partner and kids is taxing. You need your space, you need to exercise, have a bath, read a book (even if it's only for 20 minutes), sit in the sun and please get in your daily allowance of exercise outside. Finding time for self-care while working from home and home-schooling will make it all seem possible. We all need time to breathe - make sure you take yours.
8. Remember that this too shall pass. This is not going to last forever but while we are all staying in, know you are doing this with the rest of the world and for the greater good. It won't last forever and will soon be a time we share memories about. You got this!
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