Anyone with kids right now is feeling a lot of pressure. Sure, parents can enjoy their company. But usually, there are breaks involved. These days, it's even hazardous to bring your kids to the park if there's playground equipment that could be harboring the coronavirus.
Luckily, celebrities are sharing some of their top suggestions on how to pass the time. One of the most relatable celebrity moms out there is Pink. She and husband Carey Hart have two children together — Willow Sage Hart and Jameson Moon Hart. They have some years between them, but two kids is still two kids. And that means there are two kids looking for a routine while all this is going down.
The singer used to share plenty of photos and updates on her kids until the trolls pushed it too far. After receiving a fair amount of mommy shaming, Pink thought about avoiding family pictures from there on out. But since her kids are her pride and joy, her ban didn't last too long. And for the fans out there who think she's an awesome mom (which is most of them), it's been a treat being able to continue seeing those kids grow up.
As it turns out, Willow and Jameson have been able to adapt pretty well to being quarantined (so far).
Here's how Pink has managed their schedule.
The singer went on Instagram to address her fans and tell them how her past few days have been. "Hi, everybody," she said. "We're sending our love from home. I wanted to share something really cool that a friend sent to me. … It's how to make a schedule for your family. … So we wake up before 9, and then we go on our morning walk if we can, yoga if it's raining."
Remember, generally being outside is OK — especially if you keep a distance and wash your hands before and afterward. After some exercise, the kids dive right into academics. "Academic time, creative time, lunch chore time — today Willow vacuumed. Quiet time … then we're gonna get some afternoon fresh air, dinner, and then free TV time," Pink added.
Then, there's bedtime. Usually, it's 9 p.m. for the two children. But if they fight, it's 8 p.m. For parents everywhere with multiple kids, this is a great idea and a wonderful bargaining tool. If they're in your hair and make your day more stressful, you have an hour of time to yourself when they otherwise would have been up and about.
And that's the perfect hour to curl up with a good book and get your mind off what's happening in the world. Pink asked for suggestions from her fans for new titles to pick up. If you buy books digitally, you can expand your collection without fear of breaking any of the important coronavirus social distancing rules.
Pink is a great person to take scheduling advice from, since she's been known to bring her kids on tour with her. That means she's mastered how to be a professional singer and a full-time mom, all at once. That said, she doesn't necessarily find it easy — just important.
“Going on tour with children is really tricky. It’s exhausting. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” she said, per People magazine. “But I’m very, very fortunate that I get to bring my kids with me and that I kind of get to integrate them into my [work] life."
While she was on the road with them, she was also able to travel to plenty of different cities, giving Willow — who was around 7 at the time — a great education. "I asked her by the time we got to London, I said, ‘What was your favorite city?’ And she said, ‘I think it was Berlin.’ And I said, ‘Why?’ And she said, ‘Because there was a wall and people were separated, and there was a war and people were killed, and now everybody’s together and there’s no more wall and there’s no more war and that means everything that’s bad can be good again,'" Pink explained.
"And I’m just listening to her and I’m like, ‘You’re amazing and you’re totally right: Everything that’s bad can be good again,'" Pink said. In a way, Willow's wonderful advice can also relate to COVID-19. While a lot of us are feeling depressed and antisocial, things will one day get better again.
Pink also made sure to give thanks and recognition to all of the health care workers out there who are going in every day and facing obstacles they have never seen before. It's a job that's often stressful, underpaid, and, in this case, possibly life-threatening. So the shout-out was very well deserved.
"Thank you to our health care workers," Pink commented. "I love you. Both of my nurse mamas, thank you. This is a crazy time, but we have each other, so let's figure out a way to talk to each other and connect and be kind." She also made sure to give good advice on how her fans can get through these trying times.
"We're going to get through this," she said. "If you can, stay home. … Please." Remember, even if you're relatively healthy and feel as if you might be able to survive the coronavirus, you still might pass it onto someone who can't. Germs spread so easily. And as some celebrities have proven, sometimes you can test positive without showing any symptoms.
Just ask Idris Elba, who was one of the early celebrities to come forward with his test results. "We live in a divided world right now. We can all feel it," Idris said. "But now’s the time for solidarity, for thinking about each other." He emphasized handwashing and social distance, both two excellent ways to control the spread of the virus.
Many parents out there don't feel like they've had enough time to prepare for this. And honestly, they shouldn't worry — nobody was fully prepared for this. Parents are undergoing a lot of stress right now trying to manage their careers remotely while also keeping their kids educated. That's a lot to handle. But that's why restructuring your day, like Pink has, is so important.
Pink, like many other musicians, has also been offering up free "concerts" online. This is a great way to enjoy your favorite musicians without leaving the house — or buying an expensive ticket. So many venues have been shut down, so it's a wonderful way to spread love and creativity to the people out there who need it most.
