A note to young moms from an older mom

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How old are you OP? I’m sure you meant well and some people are very clearly agreeing with your post. But have you ever lived through a pandemic before? Neither have I. So no you don’t know how we will look back on this.

Signs are pointing to this being much longer than 3 weeks of being home with the kids. More like months. This may be our new normal for even longer. The kids may not even go back to school this year.

So while I agree with the overall message of try to be chill and don’t sweat the small stuff, I probably would have skipped the rest.

The last pandemic was in 2009, so yeah, we've all pretty much lived through one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The point would be received better if you weren't so condescending.

Seriously???? That sounds really, really, really defensive.

OP, the trying to catch a raccoon was the best part of your post.

LOL! I loved that too. I actually would like for my kids to be out trying to do that, rather than inside on hour 592 of Fortnite. Or Netflix. As their Vitamin D levels quickly drop and rickets set in.

I agree with this. Screentime blurs your memory. Kids will remember things like catching a raccoon, making a slip n slide in the backyard, baking kitchen sink cookies. Those are the memories I plan to make!

I’m also going to take it easy in terms of telework. Employers aren’t going to expect 100%. It’s physically impossible. I’ll give it 30-50% and assume that deadlines will be pushed back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Note to older mom: Stop being condescending.

A note to young moms from an older mom: Remember those DCUM moms I told you not to listen to

I'm older. I don't get the panic of being home with your kids. I love it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A note to young moms from an older mom:

Listen guys I know you are under a lot of pressure to do everything just right. Proper eating habits, exercise, little to no screen time but these are extraordinary times. Don't kill yourself trying to keep everything perfect in the time of the pandemic. All the pinterest moms, DCUM moms and blog moms will make you feel like you are failing if you aren't constructing a model of the coronavirus out of toothpicks and a golf ball with your second grader. You are not. You need to consider the long game. In the total scheme of things this is but a blip. Take them outside and fool around when you can. Let them watch hours of tv and eat some junk food.

Someday before you know it they will be 35 years old like you are and they will talk of the "Great pandemic of 2020" with their kids. Do you want them to say: "Yeah I kept on pace with my online learning and didn't skip a beat, my mom was obsessive": OR would you rather they say: "It was crazy, we didn't have school for like 3 weeks, I ate nothing but chicken fingers and gummy bears, played possibly 60 hours of Minecraft and tried to capture a raccoon with my friends. It was the best!"

I'm not saying providing structure and order isn't important but you can give yourself a break. There are no awards for doing the pandemic 'better' than some other mom. Teach your kids to roll with the punches and live in the now and that sometimes, in extraordinary times, rules can and should be broken.

You are spot on! But these young moms are too wound up to listen. But give them 20 or so days in to no school....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow some posters here are sticks in the mud! If you don't like the perspective, move along.

In 6th grade my teachers went on strike for 4 weeks and then we were back for 1 week and then the school burned down and we were out for a while longer! My life course was not changed by the academic pause, my fond memories are of the fun and craziness during that time. You can make the fond memories through pinterest activities - that's great if you enjoy it! But all OP is saying is if you don't enjoy that or it adds additional stress at a stressful time, popcorn and coke floats for dinner and a movie on the floor (one of the highlights of my time out of school) is also great!

I know that a school burning down is an awful, terrifying event but PP's retelling of these weeks when she was in 6th grade made me burst out laughing! Such misfortune but yet ... sometimes the bad things keep happening and life goes on.

[Anonymous]

No thanks. Rules about screentime and healthy food choices matter because exposure to TV and a healthy diet matters a lot for a child’s development. They’re not pointless rules to follow just because.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The point would be received better if you weren't so condescending.

I don't think you were condescending at all OP, but maybe that's because I am an old mom of a young kid! The virus has brought into clarity how much I push and struggle all the time at work and at home, and how I just want to spend some time enjoying my son while he is little and reconnecting with my spouse, my house, the earth, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You know there is a happy middle ground right?
My 7yo is awake 13 hours a day, plenty of time to do some education stuff, and still have silly time and screen time.

You are the only sane one here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How old are you OP? I’m sure you meant well and some people are very clearly agreeing with your post. But have you ever lived through a pandemic before? Neither have I. So no you don’t know how we will look back on this.

Signs are pointing to this being much longer than 3 weeks of being home with the kids. More like months. This may be our new normal for even longer. The kids may not even go back to school this year.

So while I agree with the overall message of try to be chill and don’t sweat the small stuff, I probably would have skipped the rest.

The last pandemic was in 2009, so yeah, we've all pretty much lived through one.

My family-older immigrants-lived through a terrivle pandemic where two of them died (plus other pandemics) so they’re relatively relaxed. Prepared but relaxed (my family member who is a doctor gave everyone common sense advice). Anyway my dad had two brothers that died in a pandemic and he almost died too, the doctors gave up on him.

[Anonymous]

Thank you, OP. This perspective is exactly what I needed as I have been stressing myself out about making the “right” decisions through this. I need to give myself a break. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

OP is beyond presumptuous! Who the hell are you to start advising anyone on what they should do or not do?

[Anonymous]

Yep. My children bought costco size bags of jelly belly, they bought oreos, cadbury creme eggs, rainbow licorice and lots of cookies.

Yesterday my son ate only rainbow licorice for lunch. The supplies may not last long.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How old are you OP? I’m sure you meant well and some people are very clearly agreeing with your post. But have you ever lived through a pandemic before? Neither have I. So no you don’t know how we will look back on this.

Signs are pointing to this being much longer than 3 weeks of being home with the kids. More like months. This may be our new normal for even longer. The kids may not even go back to school this year.

So while I agree with the overall message of try to be chill and don’t sweat the small stuff, I probably would have skipped the rest.

The last pandemic was in 2009, so yeah, we've all pretty much lived through one.

Don't be obtuse. The whole country didn't shut down for that one.

[Anonymous]

LOL 35 is a young mom...okaay...
Sincerely, a 25 year old mom of 2.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LOL 35 is a young mom...okaay...
Sincerely, a 25 year old mom of 2.

Hey, don't ruin it for me! She just called me a young mom! LOL