We never thought we’d live in a time where we would be spending all of our waking (and sleeping!) hours in the confines of our house. But today, that’s the reality for so many of us. If you haven’t gone stir crazy yet, we applaud you…and we’ll check in again in a few days ;).

Looking for the key to staying sane while social distancing? It’s all about structure and routine. Here are our best tips to a successful self-quarantine.

Make yourself (and your family) a schedule.

An important aspect of keeping a routine is creating a schedule for you and your mini. This provides structure for your day to ensure consistency for you and for those around you. It is equally important that all of your family members do the same and respect each other’s routines. But go easy on yourself, mom. You do not need to duplicate your child’s full daycare or school schedule and no one expects you to. Focus on creating blocks of time for activity and don’t beat yourself up over extra TV time or lazy mornings.

Teach lessons you know.

Sure, you may not be a seasoned kindergarten teacher with a toolbox full of approachable academic activities at the ready. But you are your mini’s mama and that means they have a whole lot to learn from you. Use this time to teach your babes the things you want them to know in life that the classroom may not cover.

Making dinner? Teach your mini how to set the table. Post-meal clean up? Time to learn how to wash a dish. Calling on a friend over Facetime? Let your mini know it’s important to check in with friends.

Get dressed for the day.

We know it’s tempting to stay in your pajamas all day but getting dressed is a major part of our daily routines. Even throwing on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt can help you feel more ready to conquer your day. If jeans aren’t exactly your idea of quarantine style, designate some comfy clothes as your daytime wear as long as it gets you out of your pajamas.

Create a designated “office space.”

Working from home can feel incredibly unmotivating and distracting. It’s helpful to find a desk, corner, or room that you can claim as your own space to work—even a dresser will work! This helps recreate a sort of office environment so that you can focus on your work day. If your kitchen table has become your WFH office, make sure to clear work materials at the end of the day to create a bit of separation between “work” and “life.” And speaking of separation, give yourself working hours—it might be tempting to let your work bleed into the evening hours but having boundaries and time to shut off is still important.

Stick to your mealtimes.

Meals anchor us to our daily routines and keep our bodies nourished. So whether you’re getting creative with frozen foods, canned goods, and pantry staples or supporting your local businesses with take out, make sure that you are staying consistent with mealtime.

Find time for movement.

Taking time to move your body and release some much needed endorphins is key when you’re stuck in your house all day. Whether it’s first thing in the morning or last thing at night, even ten minutes of movement can make a huge difference for both body and mind. Check out our favorite workouts you can access at home for free.

Make time with your partner.

We’re all living in very close quarters and trying to find our own routines and schedules. Even though you may feel like you’re constantly near your partner, it’s majorly important to carve out time together to relax and reconnect. Whether that’s enjoying a glass of wine together after putting your little ones down for bed or watching an episode of your new favorite series together every night, this time is just as important now than ever.

Keeping consistency is not only important for your babes, but important for you, too! We know that everyday will be a new obstacle, but hang in there, Mama, you got this!

Looking to connect with other parents navigating this new normal? Join our digital community for resources, unfiltered conversation and a daily dose of laughs to keep us all going.