Quarantine Update From New Parents

I like to get honest here with everyone that reads my stuff. Though very few people do so, I still want to maintain that honesty with you. So honestly, my partner and I have been losing it in here. being a parent stays at home, sometimes I feel like the laws closing on me and the mess just keeps getting bigger and bigger. As the parent that leaves to go to work, I know my fiancé feels bouts of anxiety when he can’t be with us. It seems to me that even though both of us are living as ideally as possible, there’s very little reason to not feel overwhelmed. You have probably felt it too. You might look at your partner and get angry at them for no reason, or maybe for the same reason you’ve been angry at them for all week. Whatever the reason is, you know you feel like you just can’t take the whole “staying inside” thing anymore.

I know. I can’t either.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t love him, and it certainly doesn’t mean I don’t love my son. It’s just important for us to be doing our own thing from time to time—some “me time”, if you will. if you’re like me and your love ones are driving you up the wall, here are some ways that I found help me de-stress.

1. Painting

i’ve always loved art, that’s no secret. are used to fill entire notebook with sketch after sketch, one imaginary world after another. I guess you could say I’m no stranger to creative expression, but you don’t have to be a professional pick up a paint brush and canvas. Influencers on YouTube, TikTok, and Twitter are finding new and simple ways to paint. Some methods involve pouring acrylic paint into a cup and drizzling it all over the canvas. Others include the following Bob Ross tutorials just for the heck of it. The important thing is to have fun doing it, that’s what art is all about!

2. Gardening

I wouldn’t say that I have a green thumb, but I do enjoy taking care of my succulents and watching them bloom in the dead of winter. Recently, I took up multiple gardening projects that were apartment friendly. You can literally grow anything from kitchen scraps. Not only is it a nice way to take a break from all of the craziness, but it can possibly save you a little bit of money when that grocery trip for the week comes around.

3. Video Games

p this one is a personal favorite of my fiancé‘s. He loves to logon, chat with his friends, and blow up some things in the process; however that’s not the only way to play. In my middle school days, I was something of a gamer. With an excessive amount of spare time and very little friends, are used to get lost in games like Skyrim. Now that I’m an adult, I don’t get as much time to play games as I would like. The combination of work, school, and a toddler on the verge of sprinting have made it a little difficult to make time for it. still, from time to time I like to sit down on the couch with my Nintendo switch and play Luigi‘s Mansion, and Animal Crossing. Video games are for everyone! And there are so many different worlds to explore.

4. Parks

One of my favorite places to go when I was little was the parts. Open fields of grass, giant jungle gyms, being able to play with other kids—it was paradise. Not much has changed, and everyone knows damn well that if they allowed people on the monkey bars I would be right there. Though the parks aren’t fully open, our family likes to go on short picnics in the grassy areas. It makes a nice outing for the whole family, especially when In-N-Out is on the menu.

5. Glammed-Out Grocery Trips

This one is a little different, but I wanted to put something in here that was definitely doable for everyone. Now that COVID has shut down a lot of places, you might have a bunch of cute clothes that you feel like you can’t wear anywhere. Well I say take ‘em to the grocery store! Get all dolled up! Dress to the nines! It makes the trip much more fun than your usual 8AM grocery run.