Thanks for the reminder to donate! For Father’s Day I donated to Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) in my husband’s name. They help represent children in immigration court.
Solo parenting is so, so hard. One thing that I’m a big believer in is getting out of the house once a day - everyone needs a change of scenery! Home Depot and PetSmart are a toddler’s dream - open all the cabinets and refrigerators! See the fish and if you’re lucky, some spiders and lizards too!
Wordle and a mindful minute (because 60 seconds is all I've got sometimes to spare) to sip a hot beverage from my favorite mug before swirling back into chaos.
*nervously laughs in military spouse with a toddler* 😅
What helped me most with the first deployment was telling myself I just had to get through THAT DAY. Don’t look ahead at how long you have until the other parent comes back. Just think about that day.
The other thing is to stay busy. I kept thinking I needed to have weekends at home to just relax, but anyone with a toddler knows that’s not possible. By the end of our days fully at home, I’d be at my wit’s end. The best thing I did was make plans ahead of time when I had any free days. Even if the plans were only for a couple hours.
Similar to your Reminders tip, whenever I think of something I need to do, like sign up for swim lessons, I drop it in a to-do list on my notes app. That way I don’t have to be anxious about forgetting to do it later and can reference my list when I have a spare moment!
I LOVE those oversized gingham curtains! And I’m a huge proponent of the emergency outfit. Fanny Adams calls it an emotional support outfit, which I also love!
I feel the disruption of construction so deeply. We had a sewer pipe break and take out half of our square footage including the nursery! We are just rounding out 2.5 months of non stop construction and now have to figure out how to unpack the storage unit and re baby proof. God speed! It will be in the rear view soon and be worth it 🤍
I didn’t hem mine! They do puddle a bit in the ground, so I probably should. I’ve been lazy… I wear them with flat sandals that have a tiny bit of a “platform” which helps
I was also solo parenting this week! Has made me extra grateful for my husband heading into Father's Day LOL. I've done it enough now to know that "lower your expectations" is the theme of those entire weeks. I look at my to-do list and ask myself what can wait until next week, let bedtimes and nap times slip by 15-20 minutes if things are just taking longer that day, and sometimes take the path of least resistance when the kids want something (extra long bath times if they are having fun in the tub, buying them the treat they asked for etc). My kids and I even have the same restaurant we go for at least one dinner while my husband is out of town so I don't have to cook. I also managed to wake myself up early before the kids every day this week to get the mornings started on the right foot and it really helped. ALSO: know that your child may act differently when your partner is away! It's a disruption to their routine too. We had some unusual behavioral issues and I finally was able to see they were related other than missing their dad, which helped me address things with a lot more compassion.
I’m glad you survived the week and hope you get some solo downtime when your husband gets back! I’m headed into a particularly busy two weeks and these reminders were needed!
Ms. Rachel, the Wiggles & Caitie are ALL my co-parents (how else does one use the bathroom uninterrupted?!)! Tbf, they're great content (unlike Cocomelon) and my two year old learns so much from them. Good job making it thru a tough week, mama!
Thanks for the reminder to donate! For Father’s Day I donated to Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) in my husband’s name. They help represent children in immigration court.
Great recommendation, thank you.
Solo parenting is so, so hard. One thing that I’m a big believer in is getting out of the house once a day - everyone needs a change of scenery! Home Depot and PetSmart are a toddler’s dream - open all the cabinets and refrigerators! See the fish and if you’re lucky, some spiders and lizards too!
Wordle and a mindful minute (because 60 seconds is all I've got sometimes to spare) to sip a hot beverage from my favorite mug before swirling back into chaos.
Love a wordle or a NYT spelling bee break!
💛💛💛
And wow, I gotta see The Materialists!
It’s gotten medium reviews but I’m still all in!!
with rom coms it's not even about the reviews for me, it's nice to have an easy soapy watch sometimes!
1000%!
*nervously laughs in military spouse with a toddler* 😅
What helped me most with the first deployment was telling myself I just had to get through THAT DAY. Don’t look ahead at how long you have until the other parent comes back. Just think about that day.
The other thing is to stay busy. I kept thinking I needed to have weekends at home to just relax, but anyone with a toddler knows that’s not possible. By the end of our days fully at home, I’d be at my wit’s end. The best thing I did was make plans ahead of time when I had any free days. Even if the plans were only for a couple hours.
Similar to your Reminders tip, whenever I think of something I need to do, like sign up for swim lessons, I drop it in a to-do list on my notes app. That way I don’t have to be anxious about forgetting to do it later and can reference my list when I have a spare moment!
I LOVE those oversized gingham curtains! And I’m a huge proponent of the emergency outfit. Fanny Adams calls it an emotional support outfit, which I also love!
I feel the disruption of construction so deeply. We had a sewer pipe break and take out half of our square footage including the nursery! We are just rounding out 2.5 months of non stop construction and now have to figure out how to unpack the storage unit and re baby proof. God speed! It will be in the rear view soon and be worth it 🤍
Alisha, did you have to get your Alex Mill linen pants hemmed?
I didn’t hem mine! They do puddle a bit in the ground, so I probably should. I’ve been lazy… I wear them with flat sandals that have a tiny bit of a “platform” which helps
I was also solo parenting this week! Has made me extra grateful for my husband heading into Father's Day LOL. I've done it enough now to know that "lower your expectations" is the theme of those entire weeks. I look at my to-do list and ask myself what can wait until next week, let bedtimes and nap times slip by 15-20 minutes if things are just taking longer that day, and sometimes take the path of least resistance when the kids want something (extra long bath times if they are having fun in the tub, buying them the treat they asked for etc). My kids and I even have the same restaurant we go for at least one dinner while my husband is out of town so I don't have to cook. I also managed to wake myself up early before the kids every day this week to get the mornings started on the right foot and it really helped. ALSO: know that your child may act differently when your partner is away! It's a disruption to their routine too. We had some unusual behavioral issues and I finally was able to see they were related other than missing their dad, which helped me address things with a lot more compassion.
I’m glad you survived the week and hope you get some solo downtime when your husband gets back! I’m headed into a particularly busy two weeks and these reminders were needed!
Yay for film! I’m excited to hear you’re getting into it again! ❤️❤️❤️
Ms. Rachel, the Wiggles & Caitie are ALL my co-parents (how else does one use the bathroom uninterrupted?!)! Tbf, they're great content (unlike Cocomelon) and my two year old learns so much from them. Good job making it thru a tough week, mama!