Author: Lauren Jappie
Let me start by introducing myself, I am Lauren, full time working mom of one little girl Saara who just turned 5 on the 5th May. I have always worked, even after having Saara. In 2017 I took about a year or so off to be a stay at home mom and I started back at work full time at the beginning of 2019... but more about that later.
As I sit down to write this, Saara is occupied by watching a cartoon on the iPad, something we are constantly worrying about is too much screen time for kids but often seems like the only thing that gives a mom a minutes rest or a chance to drink a hot cup of coffee.
Before the lockdown was announced I had slowly started social distancing. Believe it or not I was initially of the opinion that this is just the flu and thought that the media was hyping things up. My opinion quickly changed and I took measures to protect my little one. I wasn’t able to keep her out of school immediately as I still had to go to work every day and so did her dad but made a plan from when I could.
When the lockdown was announced, I felt glad that the appropriate measures were being taken but at the same time I was anxious for what was to come. To put this into context, I love working. I love my job, I love being around people and often host events as a part of my job which is amazing. I enjoy going to gym and fitness is a big part of my life as is meeting up with friends for meals, drinks and shopping. The same goes for taking Saara out to places she enjoys, like the beach, or for ice cream and the park and bike rides and nail appointments with her bestie. I felt as if I was instantly transported back to Stay At Home Mom life and that did not sit well with me. Don’t get me wrong, many love being a stay at home mom and in no way am I of the opinion that stay at home moms are lazy or have it easy. In fact, during my time as a stay at home mom and running a small clothing business, I worked my behind off. It is a thankless job really where for some you’re the cleaning lady, the nanny, the cook, the mom, the wife, all of that with no payment, haha. I hated it, I felt lonely and stuck. Lockdown gave me a little sense of that again which makes me look forward to going back to work, but how will that work when kids are not going to school? Who will do Saara’s lesson prep for her the way I do? There are so many unknowns that it is easy to get caught up with anxiety and uncertainty. I don’t like being negative and am more of a glass half full girl than empty so I look on the bright side and focus on the now, and the now sees that we have everything we need and are healthy.
I made a conscious decision from the start of the lockdown that I will set up and stick to some sort of routine, to maintain a bit of normalcy. I decided to wake at the same time each day, not too hard when a toddler is basically your alarm clock. Getting up and get dressed each day as I would have needed to for work. This helped to keep me motivated as I would do exercise with my trainer via Zoom or Whatsapp Video after having my first cup of coffee and giving Saara her breakfast. She would often join in or play around in the garden as I worked out. This made me feel good, as I was honestly worried about regressing in my fitness routine which is something that I had worked really hard on, especially in the last 2 years. Gym time is me time, it was often the only break I would get while I was a stay at home mom, so it quickly became my thing, it was where I would catch a workout and quick coffee or smoothie with a friend, before returning to the grind.
Our daily routine has since changed as online/home schooling has now commenced which requires my attention between 9am and 12pm. I have new found appreciation for the amount of planning and preparation that goes into doing activities with toddlers and the amount of skill and patience it takes. Saara has between 2 to 3 half hour sessions with the teachers during that time and in between those are tasks that I do with her as set out in the weekly plan by the teacher. While she does the online bits I am able to catch up on my work emails and any content that I make for work social media as well as do some round the house chores which as you know is endless. We make the most of what we have. Lunch time is turned into a fun picnic in the garden and often meal prep is done with the help of busy little hands and while it's messy, it's bonding time we wouldn't have had otherwise.
My survival tips for coping during lockdown is basically to focus on the positive, don’t sweat the small stuff, exercise – it just helps keep the mind clear and energy levels up and of course listen to some good music while tackling those endless chores!
Stay Safe!
Author: Lauren Jappie
Its_that_lauren
Lauren Jappie lives in Cape Town with her daughter, Saara and her husband. Lauren enjoys life as working mom and is passionate about fitness and food.
You can follow Lauren on Instagram for all things fitness & fun! Her profile is @its_that_lauren.
Comments