By nature I am a planner. I tend to lean towards a Type A personality. Although, over the years, doula work has certainly taught me to find the balance in life and there are certainly things that happen beyond my control. Since moving to North Carolina, we have been in what I feel like a constant season of change. And yes, it has been difficult at times to reign it in. Especially when we come to a point where answers lack and uncertainty looms overhead. In the past 2 years Hurricane Florence devastated and displaced many families in our area and left kids out of school for months to my oldest daughter experiencing a life changing car accident. Addingto the unknowns, my husband dropped retirement papers after 28 years of serving in the Marine Corps. Only to watch the years in the military catch up and physical ailments set in. We are currently awaiting a back surgery that will alleviate a lot of pain he has experienced over the past year. I also made a big decision to homeschool my youngest daughter. I am very thankful I did, given the current world situation. Even in the midst of not having many answers, I do my best to let God show me how to bring balance to our home and try to provide some solutions to problems we face.
Which leads me to sharing a few of these solutions about this time many are finding themselves in and making the best out of a difficult situation.
With many places running out of supplies like toilet paper and wipes. We might have to get creative by making our own products and being intentional with the time we have at home. I hope some of these ideas inspire you to research more about what you can do to improvise when we are without.
Homemade Baby Wipes.
I love Pinterest. There are so many options to explore. I found this this recipe from Swaddles n’ Bottles that may be helpful for you. It does call for paper towels, however, if there is a paper towel shortage, I would explore other options such as buying cheap wash cloths. It may make for a lot of extra laundry. But if it comes to it, I would make it work.
Homemade Baby Food.
When my kids were little, this is one thing I did do consistently. I loved knowing exactly what was going into their food. It was simple and actually really easy. Now this was before Pinterest and even Amazon. I used a recipe book gifted to me and a simple food puree maker. Today, there are so many options. It’s almost overwhelming. So I will leave it to you to find what one works best. If you find yourself running short on baby food, look into purchasing some fresh produce and starting there.
Here is a good website to start with. How to Make Homemade Baby Food: 27 Tips, Hacks, and Recipes
Homemade Sanitizers.
When the stores are running out of Lysol and other sanitation products, I may find myself making my own. I found a bunch of awesome recipes online at Wellness Mama.
Keeping our Sanity
For those with school aged kids or even in childcare, we may find this time home with the kids out of our normal routine. Keeping the kids engaged and entertained can sometimes feel overwhelming and stressful. They are probably experiencing some of the stress of change too. Which is never easy. Start off your day with a nice walk or some exercise. Go outside and enjoy the weather if it’s nice. If the kids are old enough, have a talk with them about some of the things going on and how everyone needs to work together and help around the house. Give them little chores to do and encourage them to not argue with one another.
Have quiet time. Even though my kids are older, I find quiet time can still be just as important. If it’s drawing, reading a book or resting, I believe it’s important to have some down time during the day. I think they call it being bored. At least that’s what my kids tell me know.
Keep a good bedtime routine for the kids. For me personally, I need that hour to come down from the day and invest in myself. Whether it’s reading, catching up on some work, or watching a television show.
Mom’s check in with your friends and family. We might not be able to hold playgroups for the time being, but having some adult interaction can help us all. Your spouse may need to make some adjustments too and understand that they may need to be the one to listen.
Overall
I hope some of these suggestions can be useful during this time of our lives. While my plans have been changing more often these days, I find that I can have some control of how my home functions on a day to day basis and that my kids feed off of my stress. I can be creative and find ways to think outside the box. I don’t know what tomorrow brings but I am walking by faith as we move forward.
Keeping everyone in my prayers!
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