Like most parents, I feel the stress during this unusual and extraordinary time. Mothers, fathers, and caregivers of children are facing impossible decisions as they perpetually rise to step into new and more robust, hands-on roles as co-educators and, for many, as the entire social construct most kids will have regular interactions with. Besides the tremendous amount of work this entails, especially when partnered with jobs, relationships, and expectations of their own, parents are under a remarkable amount of pressure to make the best of a situation that is challenging at best. Inevitably, the first thing most of us with young kids will let slide is how well we take care of ourselves because taking care of them feels like it absolutely has to be the priority. While it's true, it's also important to recommit to demonstrating care for ourselves, too.
Here are six ways my family has learned to up our self-care routine this year, at our most stressed and swamped and, more importantly, why now is the time to model what it means to be a healthy human for our little ones.