Listen, mamas —

If you weren’t a homeschooling kind of mother before, you don’t have to be one now. Just do your best to ensure the kids are learning a little bit about the world and compassion from you each and every day that you are home together.

If you’re not great at doing Pinterest-worthy crafts, art projects and scientific experiments, then don’t take on all that DIY shiitake. Keep it simple and easy. Spend time drawing, coloring, and doing chalk on the sidewalk. Sometimes less is more.

If you don’t regularly garden or even like to, then all this “free time” doesn’t mean that you must start planting your own flowers, spices or veggies.

If you don’t want to take on that home improvement project you’ve been putting off, then don’t.

If you’re not a woman who normally meditates, you don’t have to try to force that calm at this stage of the game. It’s just too much pressure on yourself.

Here’s what I think...

Life is a little topsy-turvy right now and the last thing those kids who already love you so much need is a mama who’s trying to be someone she thinks she must, with high AF expectations, especially when her

imperfect,

disorganized,

flighty,

anxious,

reactionary,

but

affectionate,

giving,

trying,

and uber-loving self is all that her kids want and need — at this very moment, and ever.

Do you, mamas, and however that looks, that’s how it should look.

YOU are who your kids need right now, not some thought-to-be-better version of you.

Please don’t forget that.

‘Cause you don’t have to “step it up,” you just have to keep taking steps, one foot in front of the other, one hour and day at a time.