Daniella Rico is one Latina mom who knows this all too well. As a mother of four who usually works from home while her kids are at school, Daniella has now found herself having to balance work with all four kids at home. Safe to say, like many of us, she’s busier than ever these days!
“My new normal is working from home, teaching elementary school while parenting, and worrying about keeping my family safe,” she said. “I realized that I was putting way too much pressure on myself to be the perfect ‘quarantine parent,’ and there is no such thing. ”
Daniella said that when she became a mamá, her own mami was very transparent with her about parenting struggles, giving Daniella some much-needed insight.
Parenting is never easy – then when you add on the pandemic, social distancing, and working from home while the niños are distance learning and continuing their education, the challenges of being a parent begin to escalate quickly.
Mamás are often the ones who take on the additional burden, and with COVID-19 making it more difficult to get help from Abuela or a sitter, we mamás have to get a bit more creative, without completely sacrificing our parenting lifestyle.
“My mom openly shared struggles I never knew about because, in my eyes, she was perfect,” Daniella said. “She reminded me that it was okay to lose my patience, it was okay to feel like I wanted to quit some days, and that every mother makes mistakes. Most importantly, she reminded me that it was okay to ask for help. I am now four babies in and I can say for sure there really is no such thing as a perfect parent. I remind myself that I am doing my best, and best is good enough daily! ”
To help other mamás balance having the kids at home without any help from Abuela or other caregivers, we asked Daniella to give us her top four tips on how to stay sane – along with products she trusts from Target that help support her every day.
