Staying Sane While Social Distancing at Home with a Baby

Entertaining a one-year old that is just learning to walk is hard for a lot of reasons. My son does not want to sit still for even a moment, and definitely doesn’t want to be restrained by being held or his activity center, which makes ‘taking a break,’ while he’s awake a thing of the past…

Adding a restless (and homebound) baby to a small household in which both parents are working full-time / remotely, plus the current state of our world where #socialdistancing and #shelteringinplace is very much the current reality, the challenge is compounded.

Here’s what we’ve been doing at home to keep his (and our) sanity in tact:

Maintain some semblance of a routine…

I’ve read + heard in more places than I can count how important routine is for young children – and I get it / agree it’s valid! Up to this point, we’ve had tremendous success when implementing both structure and routine into our son’s daily life. For example, his spaced out meals and naps ensure he’s upbeat throughout the day, and his consistent bedtime not only gives him a long and full night of sleep, but gives my husband and I ample time to decompress once he’s gone to bed.

Given the current state of things during this period of quarantine, we’re doing the best we can to stick with Ben’s routine, and thankfully, this is something I feel has gone pretty well, all things considered! We’ve maintained this routine by 1) keeping an eye on the time as best we can and 2) by taking turns so that each of us is present when caring for him to keep the day as normal as it would be otherwise.

…But allowed as much of a break as is needed

What I mean by this is not getting too frazzled if / when the routine goes out the window. It’s bound to happen, particularly now, and it’s totally OK! I tend to get stressed when things don’t go as planned, so for me to let this go says a lot – and I mean it!

It’s incredibly difficult to balance two full-time work schedules while also taking care of a baby full-time. All we can do is our best and what works for our family, while also allowing for fluctuations in the daily schedule that inevitably pop up for any / all reasons. At the end of the day, it’s worked itself out thus far which is all that matters.

Get outside. As an extreme introvert and someone who LOVES to stay at home, I’m actually surprised by how much I’ve needed to get out of the house during this time. Our town has declared a shelter in place order which we have abided by, but our daily morning and afternoon family walks have offered a peaceful and relaxing haven from the constant news updates and reality we’re currently faced with.

It’s pretty remarkable what a little fresh air and sunshine can do for the soul, and I can’t begin to explain how grateful I am for this short (but deeply necessary) time outdoors. I’d highly recommend it!

Be healthy in whatever way works for you. Whether it’s the food you eat or the exercise you do, remaining active during this time at home has made a world of difference for my mental health. Post the half marathon I participated in on March 1, I unfortunately experienced an injury to my left foot which left me limping and off-running for about 2 weeks – right as the coronavirus outbreak accelerated in the U.S.

Not being able to run has always affected my well being in multiple ways, but has been particularly difficult to manage amidst the stress of having to shift to a remote working situation and lack of access to the childcare we so entirely depend upon. 

That being said, getting back to a running routine starting this week has made a significant impact on my mood and mindset, both of which have contributed to an improved quality of life while stuck at home.

I know this time too shall pass, but until it does, I’m thankful for the things we’ve implemented to ease the mental stress and load as much as possible.

What are you doing to stay upbeat and positive while social distancing?