Today is our 25th day social distancing. We started on March 13th when my daughter's school announced that they were closing school until April 20th. We live in New York so it will probably be closed for the rest of the year.

We were lucky to have two weeks off for spring break. We didn't have to rush from regular school to online school which I think was super helpful for my 8-year-old. She has handled the transition and changes like a pro. I on the other hand have not handled things so well.

Let me just get this out of the way, I love my family. I am grateful that we are all healthy and have the luxury to be able to have our own space at home. Everyone has a room to work in without being bothered. My dog has even picked her own spot to social distance from us.

I am going crazy! I feel like I'm doing a lot but nothing is getting done. It's just not possible to be able to be cheery, make breakfast, set up online school, clean up after breakfast, tidy up, do a load of laundry, make lunch, check on your kid, clean up after lunch, walk the dog, make snacks, do an enrichment activity after school, make dinner, put the clothes away from before, read a bedtime story and then clean up the mess from dinner. Oh, I forgot, sometimes bake a special treat. IT'S EXHAUSTING!!

The list above is just my feed my family so we can survive list. There's nothing on there about getting work done, figuring out all the adjustments I need to make for my business, planning and strategy and time for a break. By the time I'm done with the morning rush, I have tons of unanswered emails and WhatsApp messages from artisans, partners, and collaborators. Even though I'm home it takes me days to respond to messages because I'm so busy. In fact, I've never been busier. Did I mention that I'm also Class Mom. YEP!

The mommy guilt really kicks in as well because so many people have it worst than me. A lot of people have lost their jobs, don't have a place to social distance or are living with an abusive partner. Domestic violence rate has gone up since the social distancing measures have been put in place. Since schools aren't in sessions teachers aren't available to report child abuse cases. I feel bad for complaining or being annoyed when people are having a really tough time.

While stressing out recently I saw an amazing message from Dr. Emily W. King. The message spoke to me and calmed me down. It was a message sent from the heavens. It is not possible to be a stay at home mom, a working mom AND a teacher at the same time. We are all trying to figure this out and we need to cut ourselves some slack. A friend of mine said to me recently that we are not homeschooling our kids, we are crisis schooling. Let’s do what we can to the best of our abilities.

Although we are all stressed out, let us find ways to show love to each other. My family will do it by cleaning up after themselves more :-). We can all do it by showing our gratitude to all those risking their lives to fight Coronavirus by staying home. When you go to the grocery store, get a package or see an essential worker you should thank them directly (while social distancing). We really couldn't make it through this without them.

Going forward I will be gentler on myself. My daughter used to earn iPad time but now that is over. I let her go on the iPad during her school lunch break so she can chat and facetime with her friends and family after school. She created an obstacle course outside. My only rule is don't break anything since people at the hospitals are dealing with emergencies. A friend suggested an online cocktail hour meeting. Let me tell you it's been amazing. You can drink wine, scotch, tea, etc but it’s nice to connect with someone from the outside world. It's important to connect with your tribe. The connection brings back some sort of normalcy and it's important for your mental health.

This too shall pass! I hope you are all healthy and safe. Let's also try to stay sane during this time.

I like to personally send my condolences to Maitre Mukendi's family and all those that passed away recently. Paix a vos âme (Rest in Peace).

Affectueusement,

Adolophine

Day 25 of Social Distancing