Mamas #howyoucarryit

Homeschooling while working from home, dating at home, how you carry it?

Usually being a mom already means being a cook, a problem solver, an adviser giver, a Mc Giver, an Uber, a motivator while working 9 to 5 without even considering having a business.

I feel blessed to have a 9 to 5 job (especially in that crisis), indeed it is helping me financing my business Ivory B. in addition to pay the bills, rents and everything.

As mothers we have to think of and do everything, like finding a good school then we used to do, school drop because we trust them to teach our kids. Then on weekends we take over doing playdate, sport and/or music activities, laundry and everything.

When school is asking us to do their job...

However, when school is asking us to do their job… Personally as a third culture family, (from Africa, Europe and now leaving America), it’s no really simplifying things lol. Especially since we wanted our kid to learn languages, so he can speak/share in French with his grandparents, have friends with whom to play with in English then work internationally so we added to that Mandarin (Chinese) in his education lol… let me precise that except one semester in Chinese in first year of university I have no Chinese background at all …Until covid-19!

So now ourself barely speaking English, we have to teach our 5 years old how to read! Not sure if you realize you that can sounds like a joke. He is the one correcting hubby and I in our pronunciation already “it’s not alloween it’s Halloween” “not Hanna, Anna, there is no H” (H is the specialties or should I say non-specialty of my husband lol) but recently myself I got “we say Earth not “Eurth”” let me tell you that for me both sounded the exact same lol but I think now I get the pronunciation right it’s “Earth”.

Thus, WE are those supposed to teach our child how to read in English, meaning making the difference between “his” and “is” while where we’re coming from we don’t pronounce the letter “H”. Also remember that we had the good idea to have him learning Chinese lol. So imagine how personally we felt being let down when it was decided that schools were closing.

#howIcarryit

It took me some time to digest the news. Indeed, for those following Ivory B, you must have noticed that at the beginning I totally stopped communicating either on social media or e-mail and everything.

I know some are communicating every and each feeling on social media while I am more the kind that need to slow down, stay quiet and not sharing everything either on social media but also in the real life actually. Hubby even told me once I am not a person that is complaining in life, indeed I am more a motivator, a booster, so whenever I feel down, I stay a bit quiet.

And those past weeks I needed time to think, to prioritize and organize myself in that crazy pandemic.

Multitasking like never

This was not the easiest because while doing the usual mum’s activities and homeschooling, in the meantime had to stay on trac at work (remember that 9 to 5) and that with an activity that was not decreasing in contrary of what people can think and managing my business.

My son’s education being my priority, I even thought for a minute to give my resignation lol… until I remember that we have bills, rent and food that would still need to be provided …and a new collection to finance.

Thus I first to put my bulldozer mode set it on a lower mode for my 9 to 5 , to be able to focus more on my son schooling. (Thankfully while I was adjusting, I still had my hubby who, also while still working his 9 to 5 was trying his best to pronounce Hs lol)

For Mini-me, set our weekly schedule considering the assessment requested by hids school giving him stickers (I realized the importance for them of that little sticky colored thing lol) when he is doing it. But of course he is still a 5 yo, with 5 yo mood.

For Ivory B. (because of course Ivory B. is still working) I started to ship Ivory B. once a week to send all at once the weekly orders to stay safe during the pandemic.

Mediation and exercise

So those past weeks I also had to work on my mediation helping my mini-me working on his as well, he had him doing so much workout at home (yes 5 Yo have energy to spend so mums can have some rest). On my side I have a childhood friend sport coach that I thankfully converted as online coach that is now giving killing my but on zoom classes.

Covid-19 is already affecting each and every one of us. Either physically, financially or emotionally. Indeed, house currently looking like a mess, but thankfully a home full of love, and determination.

And I know that YOU GOT THIS Mama!