Prior to this global pandemic, I classified my parenting style as loving, warm and strict (others might classify it as uptight lol). We have well-rounded healthy meals, no sugary breakfasts during the week, limited screen time, a set schedule and bedtime, etc. A frequent argument is Isaac’s reading time. He is expected to read for 20 minutes a day, so we push him to read us a story at bedtime. It’s a struggle but, to be honest, I don’t have any interest in signing a planner saying my kid read to me when I read to him.
From pretty much the moment I heard the three of us (four if you count the four-legged friend) were going to be stuck in our house for at least two months or more, I packed all of those parenting rules, regulations, and standards up in a neat little box and threw it out the window.
Want to stay in your underwear 24/7 (except for outside workouts)? Sure. Want to have donuts for breakfast? Go ahead. Want to play video games and watch tv for every hour of the day not taken up by school work? By all means, be my guest. I even took to baking, which I’m absolute crap at. Nothing fancy, of course, but I’ve made the boys brownies, cakes, cookies. Is it sugary? I’ve made it.
So basically, we’re all going to be in a world of hurt when this is over, and I have to go retrieve my loving, warm-yet-strict parenting out of its neat little box in the yard.
I’m super grateful for everyone who is still working during this time. We’ve been fortunate enough to be able to quarantine ourselves in our house besides essential trips to the grocery store. We’ve made some terrific memories. Jonathan came out of his office one day to find me and Isaac screaming and shouting and attacking each other with Swiffers. We’ve watched countless movies, played endless hours of board games, bought six new Switch games (we have a problem, I know), and Isaac learned how to ride his bike.
I think the main thing I’ll miss when this is all over is the amount of cuddles I’ll receive. I’ve gotten the sense of what it would be like to be a mama kangaroo. The only time during the day Isaac isn’t laying on top of me is bathroom breaks and nighttime. Although if he had it his way, he would sleep in bed with us too.
