9 Tips for Mamas by Mamas
These days, many of us working mamas are juggling office work from home while homeschooling the kids and handling hundreds of other things to create a healthy, new normal for our families. With carpooling, dance class, little league, and play dates on pause, some of us are running out of ideas to keep our kids from turning into Fortnite zombies and mom from melting down. We got you, mamas.
Scroll down for some sheltering-at-home family bonding ideas and suggestions for balancing #WFH life from two of our resident moms — Normz, our Property Assistant, and Sue, Director of Leasing.
PRACTICAL-YET-CREATIVE
FAMILY BONDING PROJECTS
GARDENING
Get their hands dirty! So far Normz and her kids have planted tomatoes, cucumbers, and herbs together.
Not only do the kids love handling the dirt, they’re learning new skills, patience, a new fascination with nature, and are thrilled to see the results of their hard work on the dinner table.
COOKING
Normz has been teaching her kids how to cook some of the simple and easy foods they love with her help and supervision, like rice, omelets, and pancakes.
Following recipe instructions, measuring, and being precise are all great skills they’re learning.
Plus, they love experimenting with ingredients and getting creative, not to mention proudly eating the yummy dishes they helped make.
BONDING A LA MARIE KONDO
Have an organization project you’ve been putting on the backburner? Turn it into a fun project to tackle with the kids.
Normz and her kids recently went through hundreds of family pictures saved over the years in Shutterfly. The kids had a blast looking through them and helping mom organize them into folders by year, person and event.
A great way to instill the importance of good organization habits, as well as teaching them how to categorize, and also delete unnecessary items that don’t “spark joy.”
FINDING BALANCE AS A FAMILY
engage YOUR FAMILY IN A home-friendly GROUP activity
At Sue’s house, they’ve taken up ping pong for super fun, teenager-approved, family bonding and a break from school and work.
Scheduling time each week for what’s become an anticipated and fun family tournament, they’re getting in some brisk, regular exercise, polishing up athletic & strategy skills, as well as enjoying some lighthearted competition.
Idea: Come up with a creative prize for the winner each week to help rev up the excitement and keep everyone motivated.
DAILY, FRESH-AIR BREAKS
Like most kids during this time, Sue’s teens are in full, online study mode. Sue is all about teaching her kids to find and practice healthy balance, so she encourages them to take scheduled breaks outdoors and away from the digital world.
Mama needs that work-break and healthy balance, too: Get some self-care in by scheduling family bike-rides and neighborhood walks so you can enjoy some fresh air, exercise and quality family time.
BALANCING #Wfh & HOMESCHOOLING
Let’s face it. Working from home while homeschooling the kids is challenging. Here are a few ways Normz has found to help make things run smoothly.
Structure & Routine: Create a realistic schedule the kids can follow and anticipate daily.
Keep Them Busy: Plan daily activities for them that require little-to-no supervision to help keep them occupied and creative, like crafting and snack-making.
Play All Day: Encourage their imagination by allowing them to dress as whoever or whatever they want to be for the day while they do their school work. For example, Normz’ daughter is a mermaid one day, Batman the next, and having fun role-playing all day long.
Perspective: Lastly and most importantly, embrace this time you have with your kids. As a full-time working mother temporarily #WFH, Normz is enjoying this new experience of homeschooling her kids, as well as the amount of extra time they now have together to explore new activities as a family.