Here we are, several months after the initial closure of schools due to COVID-19. And now most of us are being forced into making a decision on our children's educational status for the next year, with little to no information. So let's talk about the non-educational resources we can utilize for the next school year.
The Freezer
Did you know you can make things in advance and freeze them? Breakfast, lunch and dinner -- even snacks -- can be made in bulk when you have time and then popped in the freezer for later. Muffins, peanut butter sandwiches, mini pizzas, you can make all of these things in advance. And yes, I realize your children may still be home for lunches, but are you really going to want to make them on demand?
Alexa
While the devices have privacy issues, if you dig down into the resources and functions your Alexa (or Google Home or Siri) offers, you can find options to help you manage life. I've found the list function to be wonderful. Even my four-year-old knows that, when he runs out of fruit snacks, he needs to add it to the Costco list. Also, you can use Alexa's alarm to teach your kids to wake up on time. We use the reminder function to have Alexa tell them, "Time to get ready for bed. Don't forget to brush our teeth."
Your Minivan
I'm a minivan mom. I resisted it for years, but I love it. And man, the Bat Van has some great resources that can help me parent. Chances are, your family spends a lot of time in the van, even if you're not running around to sports and extracurriculars. Here's a great opportunity to pop in an audiobook to listen to together. Or listen to a podcast and then start a conversation over dinner about it. And, of course, the best place to have a conversation is ... your car. Those people are trapped with you. Use that time wisely.
Grocery Services
Some of you may like grocery shopping. I certainly don't understand this, but I'd imagine that, even if I were one of those people, I would not be doing it as much during the pandemic. You may just want a break from it. So utilize one of those grocery services if you live in an area where they are available. Grocery pickup, delivery, Instacart or even buy some things off of Amazon instead. Get yourself some time back and outsource this (terrible) chore.
Chore Lists
Having children at home means more laundry to do, more food that gets eaten and more mess. Why not have them help? Children of all ages can help with the upkeep of the household. Sometimes they help in small ways, and sometimes they can be responsible for bigger chores. Laundry, mowing the lawn and making dinner are things tweens and teens can help with. Elementary school kids can help with picking up, vacuuming and unloading the dishwasher. Toddlers and preschoolers can put away their own clothes, make their beds and put away toys. Use those little and not-so-little helpers.
We're big fans of doing a few things really well and outsourcing the rest. For some of us, that means outsourcing our kids' education. For others, it means outsourcing chores to those same kids.
Either way, parenting ebbs and flows, and we have to be adaptable. The kids aren't going to raise themselves, so we're going to have to find a way to do it.
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--Rebecca Alwine can be reached at rebecca.alwine@monster.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebecca_alwine.
