Creating a Haven During Isolation

The hours have turned into days; the days have turned into weeks. We’re stuck at home, and sometimes it feels like the life force is sucked out of us. Whether you have teenagers and are trying to figure out how to keep them at home away from friends, kids you are trying to homeschool, or babies who don’t understand why they can’t play at the park, this time is HARD. It’s overwhelming, and it’s stressful. Mama, we’re all feeling it! And we’re all together in figuring out ways to help our little ones feel safe and loved through this all.

At the end of the day, that’s the most important thing: that our babies feel calm and loved through all this uncertainty. We can make this time beautiful, something that they remember with fondness and joy. It doesn’t have to be expensive. It doesn’t have to be hard. We can find ways to make this awful, scary time a time of love and joy. Amid the uncertainty, amid the fear, amid the darkness.

Make your home a haven during isolation by trying a few things:

1. Spend time for yourself everyday. Those babies aren’t going to school or to a friend’s house to play, so you need some mama time. Wake up before the kiddos, carve in some time after they go to bed, put on a movie and get some time to yourself. You need it! This is a great time to journal and write down how your feeling, do some yoga and meditate to help increase calm. Listen to a podcast you love or read a book. You need some time to decompress, reduce the stress, and relax. More than ever, don’t feel bad to take that time for yourself.
2. Create a schedule. Kids THRIVE on routines. It doesn’t need to be exact, rigid, and stressful. But a general routine for your day will help you and your kids know what to expect, especially in a time of uncertainty. Plan a time you’ll wake up and block out what your day will look like. An example could be:

• 6:30 – Mom wakes up for meditation and workout
• 7:00 – Kids up
• 7:00 to 9:00 – Breakfast, family meditation, chores
• 9:00 – 11:00 – School or learning activities
• 11:00 – 1:00 – Kid play time and lunch
• 1:00 – 3:00 – More schooling or reading, crafts, coloring
• 3:00 – 4:00 – Walk and outside playtime
• 4:00 – 5:00 – Dinner prep and kids watch a show
• 5:00 – 6:00 – Dinner and dishes
• 6:00 – 7:00 – Family time playing games, making a treat, performing service
• 7:00 – Bathtime, PJs, bedtime routine
• 7:30 – 8:00 – Bedtime
• 8:00 + – MAMA TIME

This routine can help you and your family feel confident in what will happen during the day. You can talk to your kids about what crafts they want to do, research hikes for your family to go on, and more. This will help everyone feel more in control and excited about the days ahead.

3. Capture memories. Don’t forget to capture memories inside your home right now. Take photos and videos, ask your kids how they’re feeling, remember this time. This is historic. You won’t want to forget this. So create warm memories and capture them so your family can remember them for years to come.
4. Slow down. Creating a routine can help make your home feel less chaotic, but this is a beautiful opportunity to slow down. Have a lazy morning in bed—there’s nowhere to go. Nothing to do. So take advantage! Try doing things with your family that you have said you don’t have time for. Now is the time!
5. Demonstrate calm. Our kids are watching us. All the time. When we are acting calm, unhurried, and happy, they will mirror us. No matter how stressful this is, they are looking to us to see how to respond. We need to try and react calmly, not get too worked up, and remember that those little eyes are watching our every move. So be safe, be smart, and help them see the joy that can happen even in the hard times.
6. Give lots of hugs. Unless you’re in a household that is quarantining from other household members, give your kids a hug!! They may not be getting hugs from grandma and grandpa, from teachers or friends. Humans NEED physical touch and interaction. So turn to your family and get those hugs that you need. Hug your babies tight, give them plenty of kisses, hold their hand and scratch their backs. We need to feel each other close by, so don’t hesitate to be extra loving to your family, especially right now.

As a mama, you are exactly what your kids need. They need YOU. We have been given a unique opportunity here. And it’s hard and it’s scary, but we can make the best of a difficult situation. By showing our families extra loving and truly turning our home into a haven during this storm, we will get closer. And we’ll remember the beautiful and amazing things that happened for us during this time. 

We’re all a little afraid. We’re all unsure. And that’s OK. What we can do is focus on the things we can control, and that’s the way our babies feel and the way our homes feel. So turn in, worry about your little family, and know that you are the best thing in the world to them, always.

Maddy Low is the proud mama of a little boy named Graham who she is absolutely obsessed with. She graduated with a degree in communication from Brigham Young University, and works full time from home doing web content and web design. She’s been married to her high school sweetheart since 2015, loves writing, traveling, long walks through the aisles at Target, chocolate, and connecting with other moms.