Real parenting talk: Emotions are up and down in the age of Covid, times are stressful — in fact we both just got the “school is cancelled for the whole year” notices. Sigh. We definitely are not trying to “win” quarantine with 800 millions Instagrammable family moments each day or wall-to-wall education activities. We’re still both busy, work-at-home moms and the struggle is real.
So when we talk about making the most of our time together, it doesn’t mean doing the most
Mostly, it’s about small joys.
From DIY Frappuccinos, to letting the kids redecorate their rooms, making surprise friendship gifts, to Kristen’s “Weird Tennis Game,” there’s a lot of ways we’ve been connecting with our kids right now, and hopefully, making a few special memories too — in spite of *all this*.
We really hope these ideas will spark some ideas of your own that work for your familiy. Hey, they might even turn into new routines or traditions that you want to keep going.
Take a listen to our latest episode right here, or listen on your favorite podcasting app. Please make sure you’re a Spawned podcast subscriber so you never miss an episode. While you’re at it, leave us a nice review. We’d really appreciate it!
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A few links from today’s episode
– Our great quarantine bingewatching list
– Ideas for little gifts to send to friends and far-away family. Bonus: You may help save the post office.
– Our interview with Stacie Billis has tons of ways to get kids into the kitchen, with or without you.
– Here’s Liz’s fancy new mandoline slicer to make…whatever. (It costs more because it seemed like the one least likely to slice through fingers along with those cucumbers.)
– Subscription boxes give us our own little joys to look forward to each month. Like Winc for wine (a former sponsor giving us off 40% off through this link) or the Bouqs monthy floral deliveries supporting small local farmers.
– Zoom alternatives for video conferencing friends and family, maybe even during a family game night.
– The very best LED lights on Amazon for the kids’ rooms. Trust us, they want them.
Support our sponsors: They’re awesome
We’re so happy to welcome Gladskin as our newest sponsor. And if you suffer from eczema like Kristen and her daughter Quinlan, we think you’ll be glad to know about them. Gladskin works smarter, not stronger, so it helps to quickly relieve eczema symptoms like redness and itch, all without steroids, drying alcohols, fragrances, or preservatives. That means it can be used daily, even on children as young as 3 months.
Special offer for Spawned listeners:
Save 20% on 2 Gladskin bottles plus free shipping with code CMP20.
Our cool picks of the week:
Liz: Two terrific articles worth reading: Fran Lebowitz is Never Leaving New York, and Amanda Hess’s essay in The NY Times, In Praise of Quarantine Clappping. (Above: an early round of 7 PM quarantine applause on Liz’s block in Brooklyn.)
Kristen: She splurged on a Peleton bike. On yes she did. And she loves t! And psst…you can sign up for 90 days of free Peleton classes through the app, no bike required.
Top image: Jon Tyson on Unsplash
