Happy Mom Mondays to all you beautiful people! I am so excited for today’s interview because it is with one of my long-time friends— Lauren! Lauren and I have known each other for such a long time now that it is almost as if I do not remember life without her! She is one of my in it for the long haul friends. Lauren and I have literally experienced growing up together. It is a beautiful thing to have known someone for so long that you can say that you have not only been there for each other through all your school years, but also have been there for each other as we have gotten engaged, married, and now growing our own families. Lauren and I have the beautiful type of friendship where we are there for each other no matter what, especially during the crazy times of life. I always have such a great time when I am with her, we could talk for hours over a cup of coffee and we laugh so hard about all our fun memories we have created! I am so thankful to have a friend like her in my corner. Lauren is one of the most amazing mothers to her beautiful daughters and I am so grateful that she will be giving us a glimpse into her family for this interview. She has such a kind heart and is such a passionate person and all who know her are very lucky!
Today Lauren will be sharing with us readers about a topic that many families are all too familiar with right now during the current pandemic that we are all living through. She will be giving us some amazing advice on how she parents and works from home at the same time, while also dealing with the daily struggles of not really being able to leave the house a lot due to covid. I hope you all enjoy getting to know Lauren as much as I enjoy having her as my friend. She is sharing some great perspective and some amazing advice. I asked Lauren a series of questions in which I will share her direct responses, but here are some picture of her beautiful family that I would like to share first:
I first wanted Lauren to introduce her family for those of you who may not know her on a personal level:
My husband, Keith, and I have been married for 4.5 years. We have been together since 2013 and have 2 daughters who we adore – Ellie (2.5) and Lila (9 months). We also have a German Shorthaired Pointer dog, Millie, who was our first baby 🙂
Lauren is one of my friends who slays being a work from home mom. I wanted her to share a little bit about her career:
Absolutely! I am a licensed K-12 Intervention Specialist, and I’m in my 10th year of teaching students with special needs. I am currently in the middle of my 3rd year teaching at Ohio Virtual Academy. Previously, I worked at “brick-and-mortar” schools for 7 years. It’s hard to believe I’m in my 10th year of teaching. I feel like I just graduated college!
As previously mentioned, Lauren and I decided to touch on the unique topic of working from home during covid. This pandemic really changed many family’s daily life routines and I wanted Lauren to share how she manages to balance her time between working at home and taking care of her children, not to mention all the other household duties that moms are responsible for?
The word “balance” and learning the meaning of it is going to be my goal in 2021. I have to admit, I’m not perfect at it, yet I know it is SO important to have. Some days it is really hard to give myself completely to both my career and my kids, so I have to give to both simultaneously at times. I am lucky enough to have a wonderful sitter for my oldest who works out of her home who watches Ellie a few days a week, so on those days I am able to get a bit more done as far as “work” goes. I do have my youngest home with me every day, so there are times where I have to take a moment to step aside from work (when i’m not in a live class or meeting) and tend to her needs – which is OK. I find that naptime is crucial in getting things done. I am able to get work done, and sometimes tend to household chores that need done, too. If it doesn’t get done during the day, I always shut my computer by 4 to focus on my family, and re-group after the girls go to bed if I have to get anything else done for work. One thing I’ve learned is that the laundry is never going to be completely done, and I’m starting to accept the fact that a little bit of mess can wait!
Seeing family during this pandemic has been so difficult because we have all been trying to keep everyone safe. This has been hard for so many families to be separated and it is extremely hard when you have children because you want your children to grow up with their family as present as possible. I asked Lauren to share her thoughts on what she has learned about the importance of having a strong family structure and what it means to have the family and friends in her life that she does:
When Covid first hit, I was 8 months pregnant. That last month of my pregnancy and giving birth during a worldwide pandemic was a mix of emotions of fear, excitement, and sadness because we couldn’t be around our families. It took some family members a few weeks to meet Lila (and some family & friends still haven’t been able to). It really was a hard time adjusting to being a mom of 2, while shuffling through every post-partum emotion, and not being able to see extended family, all while being stuck in the house. Prior to Covid, Keith & I would visit our families a few times a week. We were missing that sense of family togetherness. We had to come to a point where we realized that if Covid wasn’t going away anytime soon, that we would have to learn how to adjust to our new normal. We understood that although it was going to be a crazy and unknown couple of months, one thing we wanted for our girls was for them to still feel some sense of normalcy. We made it a point to try to FaceTime our families daily, sometimes multiple times a day. Thank goodness for technology! Being “present” with one another in those first months being a family of 4 really helped make our family even stronger because we learned to appreciate the fact that we had so much extra time together. We also learned to appreciate those visits we did get with our parents & siblings a little bit extra because we didn’t see them as often as we typically used to.
So many moms can relate to the feeling of being stuck at home right now. Some moms hardly ever get to leave their house if they are working from home and others leave just to go to work and come straight back home. It is a difficult time for families with small children and feeling cooped up. Lauren is sharing with us how she had to adjust her parenting due to covid and not really being able to leave the house that often and shares advice with other moms who feel they are in the same boat:
My husband & I have tried our best these last 9 months as parents of 2 to form as much of a daily schedule as we can. Being stuck inside, there is only so much you can do with your kids, but we try to switch it up as much as we can while remaining on that schedule. We try to keep them occupied with things like coloring, play-doh, imaginative play with Barbies/baby dolls, etc. in order to stay away from TV/videos as much as we can. Of course, some days look different than others and they get more TV/videos than I’d like to admit, but for the most part sticking to a schedule has worked for us. If I could give one piece of advice to other moms who are also feeling stuck in the house like me, it’s that structure & routine as much as possible will be your best friend. My kids thrive on being on a schedule, and when they go off that schedule, that’s when the more difficult days happen! Ha!
As much as it is hard to not get out of the house due to covid, it is still important for parents to feel like they have some alone time for themselves so that they can be the best version of themselves for them and their children. I asked Lauren what recommendations she has for other moms/couples to take time for themselves during these crazy times:
I think that one thing that isn’t talked about enough is the importance of “me” time. Everybody needs it, parent or not. I love my kids more than life itself, but some days are really hard. Some days I don’t even get a chance to wash my face in the morning. Some days I go halfway through the day wondering, “did I put deodorant on?”. Some days I am non-stop busy from 7am-10pm taking care of the kids. Life is so busy, and some days I feel REALLY lonely. I really try to make it a point a few times a week for my own mental health & sanity to get out of the house in some capacity for alone time, and “me” time. My husband always encourages me to do this because we realize that in order to be the best parents we can be, getting time for ourselves is important. Sometimes that’s going for a drive and listening to music, and sometimes it’s going to Target just to get a Starbucks and browse the aisles. Doing what relaxes you is OKAY!
I remember some of the nerves I felt when I was going to be a mom and just wanting to be the best that I could. I wanted Lauren to share with first-time expecting mothers some of her advice:
I know it’s cliche, but if there is one piece of advice I can give first-time moms, it would be to enjoy & be present in the little moments as much as you can. Take a million pictures and videos. Give them as many kisses as you can. Those first couple months are filled with so many special “firsts”, but they go by & are gone so quickly – without warning. Enjoy them & cherish them 🙂
Lauren leaves us with this last piece of advice:
You are not alone! If you’re feeling stuck in a rut, alone, or you are just having a hard day, do something for you! Go get a massage. Go to Target, get a Starbucks, and browse the aisles. Go for a drive ALONE – blast some music that you love and clear your mind. Even a little 20-30 minute drive for me does wonders for my soul. Also, it’s healthy to have time away from your kids – you need it mama!
I hope you all enjoyed reading about Lauren. She is such a great friend and an amazing mother, and I am so thankful that she shared a part of her motherhood journey with us. All of us moms are in it together and I am so thankful for all the beautiful moms who have been willing to share their stories on my blog to let them know that they are not alone!
Lauren’s Instagram: _notaregularmom_
Xoxo, Bri
A sweet friendship refreshes the soul. Proverbs 27:9
Brianna Santoro 