Isolating with Toddlers: Top Six Observations You Need to Know

The first thing I must point out is that I have three-year-old twins. I am in the trenches with you, fellow parent. I’ve been at this isolation business for over a month and I can tell you that teachers are walking saints. As a granddaughter of an educator, I have always had an appreciation for those who choose to
educate young people. After staying home with my children, I have a deep and profound appreciation for anyone who has to mediate an argument about whether the exact same Paw Patrol cups belong to one child or another. So far, this is what I’ve learned and I have some suggestions for how you can cope.

1) You’re not Betty Crocker however, anybody can make some box cookies or
brownies. If they come out misshapen, salty, and inedible, chances are
your children will still eat them 🤷🏾‍♀️. Chances are if you are desperate enough, you will eat them as well.

2) There are a plethora of educational shows on Netflix and if you don’t
have Netflix, Youtube is your friend. There is a world of education, adventure, and discovery out there. You can learn about the solar system, practice yoga, learn a new language, or discover hidden talents. My children love Youtube and gasped in excitement when I showed them yoga for kids. After a few minutes of child pose, the glamour was worn. They then asked to watch the Paw Patrol episode they have seen precisely 1,000 times previously.

3) Snapchat is amazing. I occupied two three-years-olds for almost half an hour by converting them to pirates, hippies, and various animals. We posed for photos together, laughed, and generally acted silly. You
are definitely going to want to check the filters before you let them free since there may be some that are not age appropriate. I found myself explaining way too much too soon.

4) I have to admit that I momentarily forgot my children couldn't read. I handed my daughter a book and told her to go sit and read quietly. She handed it back to me and said "Mommy, please read it to me". I told
her she was a big girl and she should be able to sit still to read She looked at me quizzically and said "Mommy, I can't read", as if she was questioning both my intelligence and ability to parent competently.
Oh, right, you are three. The haze of staying at home sometimes gets a little cloudier than usual at times.

5) It's best not to explain why you want your children to go to sleep. They will usually use the knowledge to mock you or as leverage. When I tried to coax my children to sleep by telling them that I had things
to do, they looked at me and laughed, continuing to build an imaginary house. I had to come to terms with the fact that partying like rockstars on IG with DJ D-Nice and Michelle Obama or joining my friends' Netflix Watch Party weren't happening. This was my chance to finally be on equal footing with a twenty-five year old partygoer and I was bargaining with two toddlers to got to bed. Oh well.

6) Get your sleep when you can. When you invariably feel a presence in the middle of the night, you have two choices: one, open your eyes and face your child peering into your face asking you "Mommy, are you awake?" or two, pretend to be asleep. I usually choose the latter, as the former always marks the end of your sleep time for the night. One out of four times, the latter choice will result in a child giving up and returning to bed, Not great odds however, once is all you need.

Finally, you will be frustrated, annoyed, and at the end of your rope at some point. You will want to throw your hands up after hearing the same arguments, crying, and whining. At that point, breathe. Remember
that the same children running around will get tired at some point and come to you and remind you that they love you. They'll wrap their arms around you and say something that will melt your heart. Then, and only
then, they will ask you to watch Paw Patrol again. What's once more in the grand scheme of things?