 |
| Click to enlarge |
Can I suggest something Mama's? Sit down for an hour with a cup of something warm and hammer out a daily routine for your family. Even if you already have one, things have changed and you'll need to be intentional about work and play. This applies whether you are home all the time, homeschooling, but especially if you are not used to everyone being home all the time. So much of home anxiety comes from not knowing the right next time to do.
Sprinkle prayer throughout the day. Watch a daily Mass from your living room, take your freed evenings and reintroduce the family rosary. It doesn't have to be picture perfect. Especially if it's something new, it's not going to look pretty. But you will be building your family up in a time of great anxiety. Read a book out loud together. Listen to an audiobook. Make sure to build in plenty of outside time. Put in a quiet afternoon time where everyone must go somewhere alone to read or think or work with their hands (no screens! This is time to really breath!). Bonus if you can figure out how to do quiet time outside.
Make one of the weekdays slightly different. An extra craft a few more chores, whatever. Make Saturdays a day of real housework, where everyone helps. I make a list of chores and assign some and have volunteers sign up for the rest.
Take back your Sundays. Be sure to watch Mass. Maybe even get dressed up for it. Have a special meal (but don't over do it, our pantries are limited). Play a family game or watch a family movie. Limit screen time, but, I would argue, allow it at the right times. It's a relief to get your mind off the world and each other for a little while. Not even everyday, but a well timed movie can be balm. Remember Mama's, you are in charge of the atmosphere of your home. And it needs you now more than ever. ❤️
