One of the most difficult aspects of working from home and/or surviving this 'stay at home' order is having your kids home with you all day long. Don't worry I got your back! I promise that if we put a little work into planning a daily routine, your day, week and life will run smoother. 

Before we get to scheduling your chaos, let's keep in mind some things that may change from family to family. 
1. Develop your schedule according to your child. Set the time frame according to your child's age. How long can your child focus? Younger children have shorter attention spans, keep their activities short 20 minutes max and switch it up. Older children are able to focus on one subject for a longer period of time. At either age, switch things up go from an academic task (reading) to creative (music, art or physical activity). 
2. Time management - use times when your kids are independent and occupied to be the most productive. Backyard recess while you are in a meeting or online learning (educational youtube videos) when you are on a phone conference. 
3. Be flexible - let's not sharpie things in just yet, create a daily time line and use post its or velcro labels to be able to move things around to fit your daily needs, if needed. 
4. Ideas to fill your schedule - meals, snack time, reading, writing, journaling, book reports, arts and crafts, math skills, outdoor/indoor, recess, PE class, science projects, free time vs. screen time, and chore hour
 
Khan academy has an awesome resource of sample schedules according to your child’s age and grade level.
 
Look out for tomorrow’s blog with additional resources virtual and online educational resources for you and your family. 

Anxiety is a normal emotion that we all feel. Anxiety happens in two places - our body and our mind. When we are anxious our body reacts; we may have temperature changes (sweat or chills). Our heart rate increases and it becomes harder to breath. We may feel like we are on edge and start fidgeting, biting our nails, playing with our hair or shaking our legs. Along with the physiological changes, our thought processes change. We may have catastrophic thoughts, negative thinking, and stuck thinking. We may find it hard to focus or concentrate on anything. Both symptoms in our mind and body impact our sleep, appetite and our reactions to others. 

We can feel particularly anxious when we feel like we have no control in the situation. Perfect example, COVID 19. We as Americans are used to having unlimited freedom. We get to stay out as late as we want, travel to any country, eat out, and enjoy parks/museums/theaters. We get to do as we please! And, now all of a sudden, it feels like our freedom has been taken away and some people are panicking. Panic can look different for each of us. While some are hoarding cases of toilet paper and water, others are constantly googling answers to their questions. 

I get it, this is a scary time. But trust me when I say, DON'T PANIC. We actually have more control and freedom in this pandemic than you think! If you make the conscious choice to social distance, wash your hands (for at least 20 seconds) and stay healthy (mind and body), things will be okay. 

To reduce your anxiety regarding COVID 19, follow these 4 easy steps. 

It is so important for us to engage in self care daily. It is our way of charging our batteries and replenishing our souls. It is especially important that we engage in self care when life becomes more stressful. And I think we can all agree that over the last week, our stress levels have sky rocketed. 

Don't you fear, the solution is near! Staying home is the only way we can keep each other safe and healthy while flattening the curve. 

Here are 19 ways you can engage in self care in the comfort of your own home!

1. Meditate
2. Indoor spa day (Face mask, hair treatment, paint your nails)
3. Aromatherapy it up - candle, plug in, diffuser
4. Paint or sketch
5. Read book(s)
6. Get a tan (from your yard or lanai). Even better combine 5 & 6
7. Color a mandala
8. Clean your closet
9. Do at home work out (Yoga, Zumba, HIIT)
10. Play chef - get creative and whip up a new recipe from what you have at home
11. Sleep in or take a nap
12. Make homemade cards and mail them out OR send your loved ones e-cards
13. Play your favorite board or card games
14. Go on a virtual tours of museums (smithsonians, Vatican’s, Louever, British museum)
15. Learn a new language
16. Soak in a tub or bubble bath
17. Binge watch a series
18. Listen to a new podcast
19. Create a vision board

Having our kids home can be a blessing and a curse. Usually we get excited! We plan a week full of activities - beach, parks, play dates, museums, hikes, we may even plan a getaway. Yet, this year despite our best intentions and preplanning, spring break looks a little different. Don’t you fear, you can do it! Spring break with our kids stuck in the house can seem like a curse, but if you plan ahead and create a week full of indoor activities, it can truly be a blessing.
 
You got this! I believe in you. And trust me the more you plan ahead, the better the week will be. When kids lack structure and activities, they resort to their own devices to past the time. As a parent, you know what I am talking about. Stay ahead of the game and preplan activities for them to enjoy and keep you sane.
 
Here are my top 3 suggestions:
Screen free day – now before, you absolutely veto this. Stop and think about all the amazing possibilities. My favorite things about screen free day is that you too, mom and dad, need to get off your phone. This forces everyone in the family to be in the moment, enjoy each other’s company and make some great new memories. And when the day is a success, it’s a great reminder for kids and parents that we don’t need electronics to have fun!

• Board games – whether it’s candyland, monopoly, checkers, connect four or uno. Dig into that closet, pick teams and have some fun!
• Puzzle – we are bringing it bag to the olden days, dig out that jigsaw puzzle and together make the magic happen
• Puppet show – you can use just about anything - old socks, paper bags, popsicle sticks and construction paper. Get creative, make characters from your favorite movie and reenact the scenes. Invent new characters and an interesting story line
• Build a Fort – bust out blankets, pillows, fairy lights and create a little oasis. Hey, they could even have a slumber party in their fort.
• Paper airplane challenge – use recycled paper, create a starting line with tape, slippers, cones, anything and let it rip!
• Balloon hockey or tennis – blow up a balloon and create random challenges – how long can you keep it up without touching the ground. This activity also builds team work, which is extremely helpful for siblings who are always at each other’s throats
• Sous chef – let your kids be your sous chef. Have them help in the preparation of their favorite meal or dessert. Not only do you get assistance, but you are teaching your kids how to whip up one of their favorites. What an amazing memory for them to pass down to their own kid.
• HIIT workout – get up and moving. This link leads you to an article about how exercise helps kids (and adults) with emotional regulation. They lay out 7 fun animal themed movements that help manage their emotional experience in just 7 minutes.

Imagination it up – one of the magical aspects of being a kid is that their imagination runs wild. Sometimes, I wish that I was as carefree as these little ones. They just do, without fearing having any judgment. We should really learn from them.

• Science projects. Try making this easy to make parachute, test out different cups, parachutes or designs to see which falls the fastest or slowest.
• Dance party – show them how it’s done. Bust out your some classic dance songs and bust a move. How educational would it be for you to teach them the cabbage patch, sprinkler, moonwalk, and running man. And they can teach you how to whoa, floss, dab and hype it out.
• Scavenger hunt – this will take some preplanning, but create a scavenger or treasure hunt for your kids. You can even leave treasures at each location that come together for an activity.
• Arts and Crafts
  • DIY moon sand
  • Magic milk
  • Sensory bottles
  • Lava lamp

​Challenge :: Ready set go. I mean ready, set, bust out laughing. Start by challenging your child with a little face off. Whether it is singing, dancing or strategy game, make it fun. You can even bet for push ups or chores. Lose can do the dinner dishes. 

• Karaoke – who sang it best. Use Youtube videos with lyrics and get to it. Or, if you have Amazon prime, most songs on Amazon music come with lyrics. Use a spatula, hair brush, just about anything as a make shift mic and rock the day away. Sing duets, movie soundtracks or old school classics, it’s your pick.
• Instagram - are you filters? I know you know what I am talking about, which Disney princess would you be, which animal would you be, word of the year of 2020, etc. This is a fun game that you and your kids can guess and laugh at the results, plus you have a video saved of your reactions.
• Tik tok – you’ve seen it. Even celebrities are doing it. Join the hype, sign up for a tik tok account and join in on lip syncing and mimicking dance moves. When parents join in with their kids, it definitely makes for a good show!
• Minute to win it games – Google it, pinterest search, there are just so many games you can possible challenge each other and beat the clock. The best thing is, most households have all the items needed for these challenging activities

Educational activities - Now that spring break got extended, it is important that we keep our kids on somewhat of a schedule, otherwise getting them back in the swing of school will be TOUGH! There are quite of bit of companies who have created free online resources to assist your child from home. A blogger, Jodi Southart, created a comprehensive list. Click, print and set time each day for your kids to do some school work. Along with worksheets and other online learning, have your child read for 30 minutes a day. Trust me, it will be way easier getting them back into the classroom if they keep a homework routine during this school break. You could even reward them with a set allotted amount of screen time when their work is completed. For older children, try reading a book (Harry Potter, Wrinkle in Time, Jumanji, Charolotte's Web) turned into a movie. Click here for a list
of favorites. You can watch the movie as a family after they finished the book. 

The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention have encouraged all Americans to engage in social distancing. Their definition of social distancing is remaining out of congregate settings, avoiding mass gatherings, and maintaining distance (approximately 6 feet or 2 meters) from others when possible.

Why is this important? 
COVID 19 is a relatively new virus that we don't know much about. As the virus spreads, we are finding more and more information about the effects and how to handle it. The unknown can be a scary thing! In a world, where we do not have control over pandemics, rules on travel or school/event/work shutdowns, take control of what you can do and limit contact with others. Even though you feel and look healthy you can be a carrier and pass on the virus to someone else, someone who may have a compromised immune system. Be vigilant and safe.

My recommendation:
It's better to be safe than sorry. Educate yourself on ways to reduce transmission and what symptoms to look out for. If you or your loved ones have a compromised immune system or respiratory issues, contain yourself as much as possible. To do my part and keep our communities as healthy as possible, Lotus Psychological Services will be suspending in person sessions and implementing telehealth sessions for adults and teens (see attached letter for more details).

I know this isn't the most ideal time. Many of you have plans to travel or a fun spring break planned. Imagine this as a speed bump; a speed bump that we can easily navigate and smoothly get over it. Let's use the power of positive thinking; don't zoom into the negative, zoom out and look at the big picture. I am thankful that we are in a world where we can easily google the latest information, where social media alerts us of updates, where we can order food, groceries or supplies online or through an app and where we can use our electronic devices to read, watch shows or play games. Damn, we are lucky to live in this moment of time!

Over the next few weeks, I will be posting blogs (self care at home, how to entertain your kids during spring break and binge worthy shows and books) to assist you with this new concept of social distancing.

Come on guys we got this! Our mind is our most powerful muscle, stay positive, use this time wisely and most importantly, be thankful for your health and many blessings!

As part of Autism awareness month, I would like to introduce you to Julia. Sesame Street created her character a few years ago to help adults and kids understand what it is like to live with Autism. What I like about them introducing Julia to the world is that it normalizes Autism, educates others about Autism tendencies and open the lines of communication to discuss Autism. 

​My experience with Autism has taught me 5 important lessons:
1. Each person with Autism is special and unique (like a puzzle piece) and interventions should be tailored to them.
2.  Building awareness increases empathy, educates others and be on step closer to finding a cure for autism. 
3. Early intervention is the best!
4. Focus on the tendencies and use them as strengths.
5. Consistency, Structure and Routine make a huge difference!

If you are interested in learning more about Autism, please click below:
​

It's been almost a year since I have written a post and while part of my reason for delaying this post was rationalizing the break, I decided to be completely honest and transparent. It's only fair that I do so, when I ask my clients to right? 2018 was all about self care...and there is nothing wrong with that. I encourage you to find a way to take care of yourself in the chaos we call life.
This year I hiked Machu Picchu, cuddled a sloth, stayed in a tree house in the Amazon, chased waterfalls and sunsets, cooked more, jumped in the ocean once a week, read books, went camping, got consistent with my exercise routine, laughed out loud at comedy shows, danced the night away at concerts and focused on spending time and making memories with loved ones. Each activity was a way to fuel my soul, energize my spirit and take care of myself. What have you been doing lately to show yourself love? What do you do to rejuvenate your soul? To recharge your battery?