Juggling more hats than usual as a parent and a creator during a global pandemic? How can you add balance? Lana Savoca @lanasavoca, a busy East Coast mom, discusses how her parenting style and engagement on social media platforms have shifted during this season.
Q: Has your parenting style changed since the beginning of the pandemic, if so, how?
When my children’s school closed and their extracurricular activities stopped in March, my role as parent extended to teacher, art director, entertainer, permanent play-date partner, and time-out referee. In reality, I have always worn these hats, but my “shifts” now extend through the day with very limited time to myself and my professional commitments. Since we were quarantining from family and childcare as well, I had to accept our new reality. My husband became increasingly busy working from home, and we hardly see him outside the 9-5 workday.
Accepting that there is no ideal work-life balance and that I have to turn down some collaborations has helped me manage my expectations and let go of the mom-guilt. I have found that I can’t keep up with the same amount of commitments pre-COVID and be present for my family.
Q: What has been your experience sharing motherhood on social media?
I share my motherhood ups and downs on social media. There are days when the kids are super bored, and no amount of activity planning or creative art-projects will do. There are days when I want to throw my arms up and cry. I share bits of the tough times, but I try to highlight the positive these days. So many people are having a far worse time, and I feel blessed to be healthy and together. We know more than a handful of friends that have lost loved ones here in NY due to COVID, and we don’t take our blessings for granted.
Q: What does a typical day in your week look like?
To be honest, my days are a mix of planned adventure and barely controlled-chaos! Ha! Here’s what a (better planned) typical day looks like:
7 am: household wakes up, sometimes earlier–kiddos drive this
7:30 am: I make breakfast and then we say goodbye to daddy as he goes into his work cave for the rest of the day.
8-9 am: kids play together, usually building blocks or games. This is when I try to answer work emails and collaboration requests over coffee
9-10 am: I spend time reading with the kids and practicing writing; I try to be consistent as we’re trying to help my daughter learn to read before kindergarten.
10:30 am: snack time. I check social media and May post a story
11-2 pm: I take the kids for a walk, and we have a picnic lunch at the lake in our community. Since April, we have been staying in the Poconos away from NY. I am generally completely off the phone during this time.
2:30 pm: I let the kids play for a bit in the house or do an art project while I answer emails, edit a blog post, or engage on social media. If the kids get bored, I will allow them to watch an educational program or do ABC mouse on the IPAD. It is not ideal to park my kids in front of the tv, but I have accepted it as a workable solution when I need to get work done.
3:30 pm: snack time, I may have kids help make a shake as an activity
4 pm: sometimes, my husband will take a break and take kids to the beach or build legos with them. I either come along to spend time as a family, or I get some time to myself.
5-6 pm: make and eat dinner. My kids love cooking, so I try to involve them in the process. They help me make pizza or season veggies for grilling.
7 pm: hang out outside on the deck or in our garden. It’s summer in PA, and we love to take everything outdoors.
8-10 pm: post to social media, publish my blog, or create content for the week. I reserve after hours to get the bulk of my work completed.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish with your channel, especially now amidst a global pandemic?
I hope to have a positive and encouraging channel for other moms in my community. I am passionate about clean and healthy living and hope to provide easy inspo to other women in this space. I feel it is important, now more than ever, to make healthy choices for ourselves and our family.
Q: How has the engagement on your social media platform changed since the pandemic?
It has increased. I attribute this to more people being home and on social media. I also noticed more companies launching COVID initiatives and marketing initiatives to capture more online activity. I try to stay true to my values and only accept collaborations that fit my lifestyle.
Q: Anything else you would like to add?
I suppose I have become more accepting of my current life situation, and I find ways to be grateful. We recently had a rodent infestation in the Poconos cabin, and instead of freaking out and leaving immediately, I tried to find ways to be grateful, i.e., we can be thankful our mouse friends are not…rats? Ha!
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