PHOENIX — We’re about four months in to the coronavirus pandemic and counting.
For parents juggling childcare and work from home, it can mean a lot of extra stress.
These days it seems a lot of working parents have that story.
You know, that one time when they were on that video chat for work and... "then they lick it and start eating it and I’m on a conference call, on a video call and I can see them and I’m like oh no, literally, they’re eating handfuls of sugar," Kat Willard, working mom of two-year-old twins, said.
Willard is a family support expert with First Things First. It's an organization that partners with families and communities to help Arizona's children have a successful start in life.
“In the beginning, I was working from home a lot and there’s certainly, back to the idea of give yourself a break, and really remember that we’re in the middle of a pandemic," Willard said.
She says parents also need to take time for themselves.
“Sometimes just understanding that you can’t do it all or have it all or be it all is really important and just give yourself a break and just breathe," she said.
Two blogs on the First Things First website, one for moms and another for dads, outline easier ways to get that break.
“Just really making sure that you’re doing one thing each day for yourself is important," Willard said. "That can even be going to bed 30 minutes earlier.”
Willard also encourages exercise, connecting with friends and family and quiet time. All of these steps, she says, are great to model for kids at home.
“Tuning into them each day, even if it’s just for a moment to take some time to laugh with them, play with them, read a book with them to sing or dance or go for a walk," Willard said.
They're simple things parents can do to help soak in those special times at home, while balancing work and family.
We’d also like to thank Shontel from Nextdoor for sharing this story with us.
