Moms In Quarantine Contest
To our moms and managers, we see everything you are balancing right now and we are with you!
Mom has always been our rock, but now more than ever she is our unsung superhero. We asked the working moms on Team JS to gather a few thoughts and tips on how they are surviving this time at home; making time for the meals, the conference calls, the classes and most of all – the memories.
This contest has ended and winners were chosen!
Read on for a real-life look at our team and then head over to @jessicasimpsonstyle on Instagram to share your stories and enter our MOMS IN QUARANTINE surprise giveaway!
Peggy
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Peggy, mom of two very active and snack-hungry boys – Grif, 4 & Cal, 2! With kids, a team on both coasts and the world online, my schedule has always been outside of the typical 9 to 5. Stealing back moments to work after the kids go to sleep or an early am email catch-up wasn’t unusual, but now it’s the norm. I work well with a revolving routine, but I was naïve to how much my little boys thrive on one. We’re all at home, all of the time with my husband working too, often filming, (Him: “Quiet on set!” Us: “Yea, right”!). But just as quickly as I we tried to build structure, I realized it was nearly impossible. Here’s what’s helping us:
Be honest, be flexible and go easy on yourself!
Just like when that news anchor’s kid ran on live TV, everyone now knows what’s going on at home! That’s okay. It can be stressful but it’s empowering. Multi-tasking bosses live here!
Get the energy out!
We break for dance parties , walks and bike rides. And we build pillow forts that double as a gym (so that’s really what all of those decorative pillows are for!). Now that spring is here, we’re excited to get outside in our garden, the boys are going to help us plant this year.
Embrace the Mess (and screen time)!
What happens during quarantine, stays in quarantine! Planning lessons for a preschooler is overwhelming, so most days are messy with crafts, blocks and Playdough. Sidewalk chalk is great alphabet practice. We’re also eating in our living room a lot more and watching more than our normal amount of cartoons. That counts as language arts, right? We love Disney + and have been watching the classics together. We had a Robin Hood take-out picnic on the living room floor recently and it was so fun!
Norma
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Norma, mom to Valentina “only child” age 9:
With hectic work and home school schedules, things get a bit hectic for me. Opposed to what most people think, It is more difficult to handle just one child. She is stuck at home with adults and misses her friends and her social activities. With that said, I gravitate for lessons on Zoom with other kids to keep her occupied and social and this allows me to get o my work and business calls. Each day after her academic classes, Valentina has one of these activities; baking, art, voice, Spanish and piano. These are all instructor led and on Zoom. After my work day is done we exercise by walking in our neighborhood with our dog and we lovee to dance to Latin music together at nights.
After so many weeks in quarantine I have stopped stressing about screen time (Tik Tok videos), snacks choices or missed homework. We are doing the best we can! And we will get through this!
Lauren
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Working from home has been especially challenging for me as I have had to draw new boundaries for my 3 and 5 year old children. Before quarantine, they would see me before and after work and on the weekends. I was able to fully dedicate my time to them and that is what they had become accustomed to. It has been an interesting battle creating time and space to work from home. I have learned that routines are super helpful but I'm also creative about times to get my work done and ways to keep the kids occupied while I am busy.
I try to wake up before the kids to check my emails and make sure I have completed any outstanding tasks.
Then I usually do homeschool work with my son for a few hours in the morning.
After that, I give the kids 2 options of games or toys they can play with. Giving options and setting them up to choose has proven to be super effective. Instead of getting the usual whiny response of “ I don’t know what to play with” or “Im bored”, they respond well to the simple choices.
Around 2pm, we do a relaxation time with books and a movie and I am able to sneak in an hour of work.
If we have Zoom meetings or other calls, I have made up a few games that help keep them busy:
Hide the Toys: I hide their favorite toys around the house and they have to run around trying to collect them all.
Bath Time: Sticking the children in the bath and working from a stool in the bathroom is a good way to let them play on their own.
Bribery: I have used popsicles as rewards and distractions more times than I would like to admit…but it works.
Despite the challenges of working from home, this gift of time we have with our kids is something that I will never, ever forget.
Happy Mother's Day!
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The Mother's Day Gift Guide Edit
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Jessica and Tina share their top selects for that perfect Mother's Day gift!