April 2020 was a special month that all of us would never forget.
It was the beginning of the circuit breaker where we subsequently had to stay at home, eat at home, study at home, work from home, exercise at home, play at home, do everything at home, and basically face each other at home 24/7. Yup, while it all sounded scary and intimidating at the start, I think many of us slowly but surely got used to the notion and perhaps a few of us even felt thankful to have this opportunity to bond with the kids and understand them a little better.
For me, since I have been with the kids at home all along and staying sane throughout the day has always been a challenge, the dreaded part was more of trying to manage all the different HBL schedules and not feeling torn apart by their constant needs, be it to solve a problem sum, handle a technical glitch, join a Zoom meeting or teach them to read a Chinese word for the thousandth time. There was one thing I was super thankful for and that was having the hubby home much more than usual and the kids were so, so happy to be able to spend more time with Papa.
To even be able to stay home as a family and be able to do what we do, that is a huge blessing in itself, isn't it? It's amazing how our mindsets as parents affect the way our kids think and behave, right? I realised that in order for us to make the most of this stay-home period, the key difference laid in having an optimistic outlook and cheerful attitude - and it all had to begin with me. So even though I was physically exhausted and mentally drained on some days (aren't we all?), I did try to start each day with a happy, hopeful heart in the hope that it would 传达正能量 and the kids would feel it too. Only then, would we be able to find the silver lining and make the best out of what we had.
Now that the circuit breaker is ending soon, hearing how the kids would say "Staying home is fun!", "I wish I could stay home more", "I'm not very excited to go back to school", "There are so many things we can do when we are together" makes me feel relieved that, like me, they did cherish and enjoy this rare experience. In this post of "Happiness is...", it's about staying home and staying positive.
