Anne Arundel Moms Share Quarantine Tips On Mother's Day

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — Mother's Day isn't the same this year for Maryland moms who are abiding by Gov. Larry Hogan's stay-at-home executive order or are an essential worker on the front lines fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

Whatever the situation may be, moms across the state have been educating their kids, working from home, refereeing squabbles and fulfilling other mom duties during these uncertain times.

Kelly Falloni of Pasadena shared with Patch that as a teacher, homeschooling her own kids hasn't been a "picnic," but she's been taking it day by day. She makes sure that her kids have some say in their daily schedule and she tries to make learning at home with "Mom" a fun task.

"We have watched BrainPop videos on science and social studies topics and competed with the quizzes," Falloni told Patch. "We have also used some of the math resources on the AACPS page and done practice problems, played First in Math games, played multiplication war, etc. For reading, I try to get them to read about 30 minutes a day and that can be silently or lately they have liked reading to our dog.

Falloni said through the process, she has learned to relax a little and let go.

"In the beginning, I felt so pressured to have this nice pretty schedule and fit in all these fancy things and it just became a headache for both them and me," she said. "After a couple of days, we have relaxed and fit it in when they are ready for it whether that is at 9 a.m. or 3 p.m. and some days we have skipped it completely,"

Being at home has been tough on Falloni and her family, especially since she's pregnant, she said. She and her husband, who is the main cook in their family, also encourage the kids to help plan and cook meals, so they have some say in an important part of their day.

"My emotions are all over the place," Falloni said. "To help, we have taken the dog for walks in our neighborhood or I’ve sat outside while the kids ride their bikes. For myself, I have been reading a lot, which is something I don’t typically get much time for during the school year. I think finding a hobby is crucial to keeping some sense of self and purpose."

Along with that, she's learned to embrace the not-so-great moments and realize it’s OK to not be OK.

"This is nothing we’ve ever experienced before and it is a lot to process and can take a toll on those who already suffer from things like anxiety, depression and OCD," Falloni said.

One main thing Falloni has taken from this life-altering situation is to take it one day at a time.

"...and to give myself some grace and understanding. It’s easy to look on social media at all the moms who seem to have it all together and judge ourselves based on what may not be reality, but we have to understand that may only be one bright thing in a world of chaos and that we each are doing our best. None of us know what to expect and all we can do is take it one day at a time," Falloni told Patch.

Millersville mom Lisa Pickrell has three kids ages 7, 3 and a baby just a few months old. Because her company is considered essential, she's been working from home full time while juggling motherhood and homeschooling. The first bit of advice she has for other moms is to be as organized as possible.

"Even just sitting down, writing it all out and trying to piece together a schedule around certain priorities is helpful. But be flexible and adjust as necessary," Pickrell told Patch. "It’s more for guidance than an actual schedule. Juggling a work schedule with an infant, toddler and distance-learning second grader who all require different routines is definitely a challenge, so you have to choose your top priorities and try to work everything else around it."

She also recommended that moms streamline their routines and do as many things ahead of time as possible, such as 'packing' lunches, to make everything simpler for the kids and take some of the pressure off.

"Nothing needs to be Pinterest-worthy, even your fine-tuned schedule. Sometimes the most entertaining activities and crafts are simple things — sidewalk chalk, watercolor paints, coloring books, bubbles," Pickrell said. "Kids can do amazing things with just crayons, construction paper and masking tape."

When in doubt, don't feel guilty if it's easiest to watch a movie or cartoons, Pickrell added. Ultimately, just try to enjoy the situation.

"Sure, it’s uncomfortable and exhausting, but many of us will never have this kind of opportunity to be home, to spend so much extra time with our kids, or to even focus on home projects and cleaning," Pickrell said.

Pickrell suggested moms do something every day to bring a little bit of peace to their day.

"Even if it’s sitting on the porch with your coffee at 6 a.m. instead of commuting to work, embrace the chaos. We’ll all get through it," she said.