What’s the Buzz today is all about being a parent at home during the pandemic. It’s been months now and we’ve all had to change our lives to help with the kids, and keep things as normal as possible with all the changes in our lives. Joining host and dad Jason Carr to talk about it are two moms: Kerry Doman, the Founder of the website Little Guide Detroit, and Vanessa Cohen, the Founder of the Cohen Brand.
Vanessa Cohen is a mother of five boys, ages 7 to 16, and says the quarantine has been tough but they are making it through. Kerry has two small boys, ages 1 and 3, and says she is happy her family is healthy but they are in survival mode.
Her saving grace, Kerry said, has been the nice weather. She has been encouraging her kids to go outside whenever it is nice so that she and her husband can work inside. Jason agreed, saying when a neighbor moved in with a young boy the same age as his daughter Gia, things have been much easier because she now has someone to play with.
Times have been tough for both parents and kids, Kerry pointed out, and kids still need time to play and have a community, and changing things up is important. Finding new activities to do together as a family has been a focus for both Kerry and Vanessa. On her website, Little Guide Detroit, Kerry has been gathering ideas for families to do locally around Metro Detroit.
In terms of household chores, Vanessa says she has become a rather strict parent. In order to make life run smoothly at her home, she has given the kids more responsibilities and independence. Her kids have learned a bunch of home economics chores from how to do laundry properly to learning how to budget.
Overall everyone is surviving and learning how to live in the new normal. So, how have you been handling things with your family?