The Juggling Act

So, I bought a bike, the Holy Grail. Along with self-raising flour. Baking and biking, the iso survival activities. Speaking of things to do, I’ve been thinking a bit about the things I’d most like to do when this is over. Top of the list for me, is hug my friends, get my hair done, hug my friends, then drink bubbles with said friends on a rooftop bar in the sun. Then hug them again. Kidspot reached out to a bunch of parents to find out what was at the top of their list, and if you’re after some inspiration, then you’re in luck because I’ve got the top 3 activities parents most want to do – as voted for by YOU!  

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What is our social responsibility when it comes to procreating - especially when we're in the middle of a global pandemic.  Firstly, I blame Merrick Watts for even putting these ideas into my head. It was years ago when I was working with Mez that he explained to me he and his wife would only have 2 kids, as that was the responsible thing to do. I was single at the time and children were a distant thought, so the idea stumped me. Years later water restrictions were in full force, all of Sydney were wearing masks due to the heavy smoke… and we were talking about having more kids when my husband surprised me by saying he wasn’t sure about it because he didn’t want our kids to have to worry about not getting to live the way we do now. I think what threw me the most was that it actually kept him up at night… and now I hate to say it, but it keeps me up now too… and this was before the bushfires and Coronavirus.    

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I’ve been reading a lot about kids and anxiety during this pandemic, and I’ve been surprised me by how well my kids have adjusted to the new normal. Or so I thought. Turns out kids can show quite subtle signs that they’re struggling with Covid-stress… which is stressful. Even if our children don’t really grasp the full extent of what’s going on, life is very different for them now. But, children don’t express their emotions in the same way that we do, so how on earth are we meant to know if they’re stressed or anxious, or whether it’s simply age-appropriate behavior? Well, there are five subtle signs that mental health experts say we need to keep an eye out for.  

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I think we all need some light in our lives right now, so I've decided today is Good News Fri-yay! I’ve scoured the interwebs for you (okay I just watched John Krisnski’s Some Good News show on YouTube… ) for some of my favourite stories over the past week. From a Sinatra driveway crooner to a retirement village serenade - these are the stories that brought an iso smile to my face.  

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I don’t know about you, but weekends in isolation seem to stretch on and on for about six hundred and eleven-ty hours. That’s a LOT of hours to fill with kids, especially if you’re trying to keep screen time down (and let’s face it, that is a big ask these days…). In our house, I’ve found we’ve turned to lots of old-school activities. I’ve pulled out the board games we used to play as kids – Yahtzee, Chinese Checkers and Uno have been big hits. And my daughter has finally taught me what Just Dance and Tik Tok are all about! If you’re quickly running out ideas, then tune in, because I've got five great ideas for you to try out.  

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I was reminded over the weekend that we have been working at home now for a month. Man time flies. Ha! It feels like six. To begin with, we were scared, anxious and worried about whether we’d ever be able to buy toilet paper again. Then there seemed to be a general feeling of positivity - for a bit. Now I feel like a lot of people have hit an iso slump – bored, over it and craving an end date. I checked in with other working mums to find out whether they’re feeling the same, and also got some tips from an expert on how to manage it…  

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We've all felt like our kids prefer one parent over the other at some stage, but for Sarah McGilvray, her son's favouritism is turning toxic. She had no idea something as small as him not letting her read his bedtime story could send her over the edge, but when you’re exhausted and trying to work from home during isolation, and parent, and be a partner, and feed the dog, and live on 4 hours sleep for the last few years… your child not openly loving you or showing you the cuteness they show everyone else, can wear you down. Now, it's making her look at her partner differently and she's worried...  

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We all know isolation sucks with kids. No other way to put it really. But my thoughts have especially been with friends who have had babies during this pandemic. Being a new mum is hard enough. Being a new mum when you can’t get out and catch up with your friends and family, join a mother’s group or even have the maternal health nurse come over and check everything is okay, would be incredibly hard. So I checked out to a few of them to see how they're coping, and the responses were surprising.  

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Have you found yourself baking much more than you used to PP (pre-pandemic)? Well, you're not alone. Despite being an absolutely crap cook, I've found myself baking banana bread and even a lemon cake - wild, I know. So what is it about baking that makes us feel so much better? There's something comforting about focusing on the task at hand rather than what's going on in the world. I reached out to Kidspot Kitchen Editor Lucy Bortolazzo for some ideas that aren't banana bread.  

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Whether or not to continue to send your child to daycare, or to send them back if you pulled them out, is a decision I know a lot of parents are torn by. I pulled my son out 3 weeks ago, but I'm really struggling to juggle everything and am considering sending him back. So is it safe for children to be there? Dr Asha Brown, Paediatrician and infectious diseases expert from the Australian Academy of Science shares her expert opinion.  

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