Wednesday, April 1st: Day 16 of San Francisco Quarantine
Alright, to all your parents out there, I have an April Fool's confession. My simple schedule from Monday does not 100% accurately account for my day. As any parent knows, having a "schedule" is nuanced, especially with little autonomous beings who flow on their schedule. My hourly schedule becomes an anchor point that I use daily to track my time.
This blog will go in-depth on how my simple schedule applies to me as a mother and a wife.
HOURLY MONDAY - FRIDAY SCHEDULE
7 am - 8 am: Wake up & Morning Rituals
8:00 am - 11:00 am: Working Session 1
11:00 am - 12:00 pm: Morning Walk with Family
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm: Lunch Prep & lunch
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm: Light Work - Client Calls & Medial Tasks
4:00 pm - 7:00 pm: Working Session 2
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm: Dinner Prep & Dinner + Family Movement
8:00 pm - 9:00 pm: Night Time Rituals
9:00 pm - 10:00 pm: Quiet Reading Time
Let's pick this schedule apart.
BONUS TIME
I have been waking up at 5:30 am and have been using this time to read and start writing. I have been getting "ahead' of my schedule, which has led to being able to do more. I didn't put this in my schedule, because I like the idea of having "free time" to use as I please, and if I don't get the "bonus time" because I end up "sleeping in' until 7 am, there is no harm of foul.
We co-sleep with my son, so when I do arouse, I do my best to keep it quiet time. I also take time to start my meditation ritual, get hydrated, and get an early start.
WAKE UP
At around 7 am - 8 am, when my son wakes up, I start the "Happy Birthday" ritual, and it cues my husband to come in, and we immediately move into changing our son's diaper and get the morning started to begin our day.
RITUALS
I include my son in many of my rituals, or I do them in the background of him running around.
WORK
On any given day, I have four uninterrupted hours, which I break up in the morning session and the evening session.
When I am with my son, I set 20-minute timers using Alexa and give him time for uninterrupted attention. He then generally starts moving around and creating his own schema's. His favorite schemas include creating shelter and bringing in objects and finding them under his makeshift hut and plays with his cars and dinosaurs. If he needs me, he comes and sits on my lap. I set another 20-minute timer, where I give him my undivided attention.
I do get interrupted when I am working alongside him, but I akin it to a co-worker interrupting with questions. However, this is why my 4 hours of uninterrupted time is so meaningful, and I try and get as much as I can do in that time.
We have age-appropriate content in the background: CocoMelon, Super Simple Songs, Lil Baby Bum, Word Party, Charlie's ColorForum City, etc. He typically will stop and sing from time to time, but other than that, he is busy going about his daily playing.
We do turn off the TV every 60-90 minutes. I reset this time by building blocks with my son or taking out crayons and paper. Other activities we do to reset, is our daily walks or outside play, as well as showers or baths. I keep track of Ali's developmental milestones and work on making sure when I spend 20 minutes with him, we work on his ABC's, numbers, and overall vocabulary. What we work changes based on where he is on his development, but this is where we are now.
At any point in the day, when I am not with my son, my husband takes over the routine.
MEALS
When we have meal prep, we have a kitchen helper/learning tower and Ali comes in the kitchen with me, and I talk him through what I am doing. He doesn't sit in a high chair anymore. Instead, he likes to sit in one of the chairs at the table or stand in his tower. We make sure we sit together at least once or twice a day. It's essential for us to check-in at this time as we prepare for whatever else needs to get done by the end of the day.
MOVEMENT
We ensure we get one or two walks a day, or we substitute one of our hikes for playing in the backyard for 30 minutes - 1 hour. We also make sure we are stretching and give each other massages.
OVERALL
Have a child makes the schedule a little less straight forward and requires flexibility. It requires constant communication with my partner. Our goal is to meet both our needs as best we can while taking care of the needs of our son.
This quarantine is not "usual," and uncertainty is a looming monster that cannot be ignored. A schedule is a framework that allows normalcy, but it also shouldn't be stuck to as the end all be all. I realize not everything can be done in what might have taken a day under normal circumstances, so I allow for day to day, hour by hour grace. I am truly challenged to find the balance between the structures of the left brain that needs order, and the right mind that needs more flow.
Questions to Ponder:
How are you doing right now?
Are you able to get the things that you need to get done while spending time with your kids?
What does your schedule look like?
How is communication with your partner? What are the things you like? What are things that can improve?
If you are a single parent, what support do you need right now? What are ways you can be gentle to yourself?
These are not easy questions to answer, and I honor all parents on this journey going through quarantine in uncertainty. A schedule does not mean my life is perfect by any means. In fact, it’s been a really difficult adjustment from pregnancy to postpartum and now in the toddler phase in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Having a child always present is a full-time job within itself. A schedule is an ideal. It allows discussion with a partner, and with older children. What I have learned is that every day is filled with a color wheel of emotions, and I am truly taking it as it comes.
I am currently offering free services to pregnant mom’s and postpartum mom’s. Also a flash sale for transformational coaching.
If you have any questions or need support, please reach out or post here.
