It’s Okay to Use Screens Right Now (and Other Ways to Relieve Stress)

It’s Okay to Use Screens

Let yourself us screens right now. Yep, I said it. And yes I know what these guys say about it. All good parents want to give their children the best of themselves. They want the time they spend together to be educational, recreational, or some other kind of high quality time.

And that’s important.

Right Now is Different

But during a time such as this, we have to give ourselves grace and prioritize. That’s why I’m writing this post. Even before all of the COVID-19 chaos, I noticed my parenting peers feeling such shame about ever using screens (myself included). And now, so many parents view other people’s quarantine schedules and beat themselves up, or strive to do things the way someone else is doing them, etc. instead of looking at their reality and making a plan that works for them. Oh and by the way, making a plan takes focus and time and how are you going to get that? There’s nothing that makes more sense than allowing yourself to use screens. (And yes high quality screen time is best , but just for now a little extra Disney movies aren’t going to have any long term damage.)

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Emotional First Aid Kit

Bad moods come and go. That is one thing we can count on in this life. There will always be storms, but we can choose how we go through them. That is why I wrote this post, it’s about the actions you can take when you are in a funk, are going through a tough season, or are just having a bad day. You need a plan. You need a first aid kit. A collection of things to focus on, healthy reminders, and uplifting things to watch and read. Please know, however that it is totally fine to feel down sometimes and it’s normal and sometimes time is the only thing that will heal those feelings. The first aid kit will not fix you, but it will put you on a good path of “next right things” that will help you recover faster. Here’s what’s in mine.

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Self-Care: Mind, Body, and Soul – in the Midst of Serving Others

self-care

I learned some new lessons in self-care last week and I was reminded of how much I need it. Last week was a whirlwind of my birthday, Halloween, everyone catching colds and a mouse in the house. The latter resulted in about 5 additional loads of laundry and sanitizing every imaginable surface. Needless to say, I am emotionally drained. (Reality check: I have limits and I need breaks.) So, Saturday night I told my husband that I was going out for the morning. My Sunday plans were: Continue reading “Self-Care: Mind, Body, and Soul – in the Midst of Serving Others”