Read on Twitter
We’re entering week 2 of daycare being closed due to covid cases. Boys tested negative, thankfully, but we’ll be quarantine parenting until next week. A few random observations.
We shifted back into our April routine pretty easily. My wife and I split the work days again. Not easy, but we were mentally better prepared having done it once. We had a few tricks we learned the first time that have helped.
It’s much easier knowing there is an end date, even if it’s tentative. We know these weeks have been hard, but it can really drain you emotionally if there’s no end in sight. I know some parents never really stopped quarantine parenting. You have my support and respect.
This time around, I was smarter about cancelling all non-essential meetings. I have some meetings in my scheduled work time from 1-4:30. But I rescheduled nearly everything and reduced meetings significantly. I realize this is a privilege, but it’s made a huge difference.
Dialing back meetings has let me focus on being dad in the mornings. It’s when I try to be dad and do work at the same time that things fall apart for me. And usually I become a less attentive parent because I’m just trying to finish this one thing.
Last thing is I’m just going with the flow. Saying yes to my kids a lot. Not sweating small stuff. There are still rules, but I’m very selective about the battles I pick. If they want me to roar like a lion for an hour, that’s what we’re doing.
By better separating work and parent time and giving up the desire to control the schedule, it’s been a much better round of quarantine. Not easy all the time, but better. Which is good because we’re all going to be home with kids a lot coming up.
