Can you believe it’s the anniversary of the Pandemic, mama? I mean, as anniversaries go, this one pretty much sucks, but it’s important to look back and celebrate how much we’ve achieved in the most difficult of circumstances, like parenting through a pandemic.

Because being a parent can be hard, right? And being a parent in COVID times is a whole different ball game. 

A year ago we took our first trip in our RV to a farm my mom’s family owns. It’s one of those places that’s warm and fuzzy in my memories because I loved it so much when I was a kid. It was a magical place for me and I really wanted my kids to experience it. 

We had a great time. And then on the day we got back, the President was on television and the country shut down. We didn’t leave the house for 2 months. 

After that, we were SO ready to go somewhere. We had this whole 8 week RV trip planned. We didn’t know exactly what to do. Was it safe to travel? Should we stay home?

In the end, we decided that we’d be safe in our own space, and we could figure out ways to stay away from other people on the road. We were yearning for open spaces so much, we decided to get out there and see the country.

I think we kind of forgot that we’d basically be shut in a really small space a lot of the time.

Now, Mama, I don’t know if you’ve ever lived as a family of five in a small, tin box. There were some stressful moments, that’s for sure. 

When you live in an RV with your family, when one person wakes up, everybody wakes up and nobody goes to bed till everybody goes to bed. 

And stuff happened. Like our car broke down about 19 times and we had to buy a new one. For the record we still have a bungee cord holding part of the RV together. 

I’m not great without sleep. And no sleep on top of everything else? I was not the nicest person to be around. 

It’s been a crazy tough year for everyone. Maybe you’ve been dealing with family or friends who got sick, or who passed away. If so, I’m so sorry.

Maybe you’ve been working in a hospital or on the front line in some capacity, in which case, you’re a hero. Thank you SO much.

Or maybe you’re a Mama who’s been at home dealing with all the things. You’ve had to step up to learn how to be an educator, you’ve spent even more time with your children and had even less help. You’ve had zero time to take care of yourself, which is something we always neglect, right? And, maybe you’ve had to cope with work on top of everything else, or you’ve gone through the upset and worry of losing your job. 

Parenting through a pandemic has been hard. I’ve definitely found it tough. And I’m not proud to admit that I’m not great in these circumstances.

There are days when I feel like the worst mama in the world. I get tired and frustrated and I yell. Then I get to spend the rest of the day feeling bad about it. It really isn’t pretty.

So after 8 weeks in a tin box with my family, I bought my first ever parenting course – Positive Parenting Solutions from Amy McCready, to help with parenting through a pandemic

There are LOTS of things I love about this course, but the biggest one is this. I’m a real all or nothing girl, but Amy has shown me there really is no such thing as a good mom or bad mom, good kid or bad kid. We’re all just doing our best.

She has a whole host of little tools. Like When – Then. When you’ve picked up your toys then we can have a snack. 

There are lots of pearls like this. Just knowing a few of them can completely change the trajectory of your day. It’s AMAZING. And it’s all broken up into chunks so it’s digestible.

To be honest, just listening to her made me feel better! So, Mama, I want you to listen to her too. I invited her to have a conversation with us inside The Free Mama Facebook Group on Monday, March 22nd at noon central. Come and hear what she has to say. 

P.S. It’s been a tough year. Parenting through a pandemic is not easy. If you’ve been homeschooling, or virtual schooling, not getting the socialization you need, and dealing with all the hard things – you are a warrior. And if, like me, you need a little help along the way, come and join in my conversation with Amy McCready from Positive Parenting Solutions on Monday, March 22nd @ 12 central in the Free Mama Facebook Group. See you there!