15 Moms on the Quarantine Habits They’re Not Apologizing For

Welcome to parenting while social distancing, where standards, routines and general cleanliness have gone out the window. Screen time limits? Psht. Adorable lunches that are secretly hiding a diverse range of vegetables? Nope. Laundry done promptly and then neatly folded away? LOL. Quarantine parenting is about survival. But at least you’re not in this alone. We asked 15 moms about their less than ideal quarantine habits and they’re so relatable. Here are just some of the things we’re giving ourselves a hall pass for right now.

New eating habits

“My favorite type of food to give my 11-month-old (after pouches...so many pouches) is anything that can be cut up into small pieces. I pretend this is so that he can work on his pincer grasp, but really it’s because it takes him longer to eat so I can maybe get a few moments to myself.”

“I’m not apologizing for my 3 p.m. happy hour habit. Mommy needs a glass of wine.”

“During these last few weeks, I’ve ordered more takeout than ever so I don’t have to think about yet another meal for all these people.”

“We’ve had pancakes for dinner a few times this month. I thought it would be a big parenting fail on my part but honestly, it was actually pretty exciting for everyone.”

What screen time limits?

“I really like to watch Ellen every afternoon, so I just put it on and let my 1-year-old watch too during his afternoon snack (pre-quarantine, this used to be cut up fruit but now it’s a cereal bar that probably has loads of sugar in it). I sort of cared about screen time before social distancing but now I just leave the TV on during the day so that I have some background noise.”

“My son asked if he could watch Cars every day of quarantine. And…I couldn’t think of a good reason to say no.”

Working without childcare

“My newly-mobile son is afraid of the fake grass in our backyard and instead of encouraging him to get over this fear and showing him how it’s not at all scary, I’m actually loving it because it means I can plop him down there on a blanket and he won’t do something dangerous or crawl over to me, so I can actually answer my work emails. Oops.”

“I’m not apologizing for napping with my kid when I put him down at 2 p.m. and then accidentally missing a meeting or two. I am so freakin’ tired.”

Cleanliness is next to…oh, who cares?

“Last week, my toddler wore her Elsa dress to bed…and then she kept it on for the entire next day.”

“If my son’s pajamas look like they could potentially double as clothes, then that’s what he’s going to wear all day. #SorryNotSorry.”

Homeschooling and housekeeping

“I’m giving myself a hall pass for bribing my kindergartener with marshmallows for every worksheet he completes”

“I am not apologizing for littering my porch with—I kid you not—three bikes, three scooters, two strollers and one skateboard. Under normal times I make everybody bring stuff inside and put it in the basement. But our outdoor time is so crucial right now and with playgrounds closed, biking and scooting is necessary for my kids to do at a moment's notice. So...sorry not sorry for looking like a junkyard, neighbors. (Also, I just looked outside and there's also a stomp rocket, a frisbee and a bunch of loose sidewalk chalk out there.)”

The importance of routines

“I went from reading two books a night to my daughter to two books in two months. I don’t enjoy reading and my daughter lost patience for her usual bedtime routine so we are both off the hook (for now).”

“Pre-quarantine, we had a schedule on the fridge to keep track of various chores for our 4-year-old and 7-year-old. Now? Yeah, that’s gone out the window.”

Me time

“I’ve sat locked in the bathroom for a while so I can read a book without someone climbing over me. What? I need some ‘me time.’”

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