In case you’re looking for a way to structure your days at home, I thought I’d post the rough outline of the schedule we’re following for the time being. Keep in mind that, like everything else with children, some days are unpredictable and it’s good to leave a little wiggle room and give yourself and your kids a break when everyone is just falling apart. I’ve built in some options for screen time, even though we generally limit screen time to pizza/movie night (Thursdays) and here and there on the weekend. This is unprecedented territory, so everyone deserves to be given a giant break on the “rules” — even kiddos. Remember that this is temporary and going back to “real” life is going to be an adjustment for everyone no matter what, whether the kids have been having ample screen time or not, so make sure to keep that in mind if you’re falling into the “I’m rotting my kids’ brains” mindset. Say it with me: this is TEMPORARY and they will be FINE.

We stick to bedtime and mealtimes strictly, rest/quiet time is non-negotiable, but the start and end times tend to vary a bit, and the other activities are more suggestions and a way to guide the day. (It’s also nice to have an answer for the inevitable “I’m bored.” Well, guess what? It’s creative time! So you can draw, paint, play with playdoh — whatever!)

I should also note that we have a newly-3 year old (Lark) and 4.5 year old (Prim), who generally go to 2 and 4 days of half-day preschool when not quarantined, respectively, and an almost 5 month old baby (he’s exclusively breastfed and hasn’t started solids yet). Those of you with older kiddos might want to structure in some more dedicated “academic” time — I personally don’t think this is necessary for a 3 and 4 year old. We will be “learning” via cooking and baking activities, getting outside to explore nature, and we will continue to use our words to explore our feelings and solve problems with parents and siblings, as they will (inevitably!) crop up during this weird, weird time.

PS: If you’re wondering more about the kids or my schedule (my day is very exciting and involves LOTS of laundry), feel free to ask. I usually workout at home (we quit our gym after Sky was born), so this isn’t a huge adjustment from that perspective. I have been doing Bar Method Online and this pregnancy/postpartum workout series for years (I signed up after I had Lark in 2017 when I realized that my core was wrecked from back-to-back pregnancies). We also recently purchased an elliptical, which was an investment for sure, but it has been such a lifesaver for both KC and I.

List of fun quarantine activities for kiddos coming up next! Stay tuned…