Who Knew?! COVID-19 Home Learning: Three Unexpected Benefits

 

Home Learning

LUNCH DOODLES with Mo Willems!

It pains me to admit it, but there are some things I actually enjoy about home learning. Knee deep in week eight here in Hong Kong, I’ve spent a lot of the past weeks bemoaning being stuck inside with a full plate of work and two energetic kids. As my mom so pointedly said at the beginning of all this: “Anne, somehow I never pictured YOU home schooling.” Truth, mom. TRUTH. I’m not particularly patient nor am I good with kids. So you might say I’m not coming from a place of strength here. That said, I’m trying to embrace a growth-oriented mindset. So here goes:

 

 

Annie’s Glass-Half-Full Approach to Home Learning (i.e., “Three Unexpected Benefits of Home Learning”)

  1. Renewed admiration and gratitude for teachers and school faculty (administrators, cafeteria workers, janitors, etc.). You guys rock. Bless you. Thank you for all that you do.
  2. Enhanced engagement with my kids’ schooling. As I told my cousin, it’s not just engagement, but it’s just downright awareness. Rather than glancing at my kids’ worksheets or books over the dinner table, we are now intimately involved in their daily learning. Each week, I see how the reading / writing / math / social studies lessons are crafted to build on the week / day before. And I see how the teachers cross-pollinate key themes across lessons.
  3. New appreciation for the role technology can play in education. We strictly
    Zoom PE

    Zoom PE with all of G3!

    limit device usage and to my kids’ chagrin, I’m anti-video games (no judgement, just not for me!). In a normal school week, the kids might watch an hour of total TV and are lucky if they get some tablet time. So it’s safe to say I’m skeptical of screen time, (largely because I think it’s passive and not engaging). But I’ve changed my perspective. I’ve watched my kids engage enthusiastically and creatively with their teachers and classmates via Zoom and Seesaw. Today, my daughter even had a PE class via Zoom! Other platforms and apps like Quizlet (for Mandarin), IXL (for reading and math), Raz Kids (for reading), and Sora (for reading) have added variety to our home learning days and keep them engaging dynamically.

Next up? A list of my kids’ favorite home learning (and home playing!) resources…

 

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Home learning pro tips for working parents…from the future

It’s been a few years since I last posted on this blog (ahem, 5 years) but thought I’d finally take the plunge and dive right back in! In the past few days, I’ve gotten a bunch of texts from friends asking for tips on home learning, so I’ve documented them here (As a bonus, my older daughter also added some of her own advice to the bottom!). 

We’re in week seven of home learning here in Hong Kong and have picked up a few tips and tricks that have worked well for our fam. These might be obvious, but it took us a few weeks to get everything sorted out and find our groove. 

I hope they help with the transition to home learning and please share your pro tips in comments below!

xoxo,

Annie

Love in the Time of CoronaCelebrating Valentine’s Day…Love in the Time of Corona

Annie’s Home Learning Tips for Working Parents:

  • Try to take each day in stride (this is especially hard for me!) – our school’s home learning curriculum evolves weekly based on feedback. Expect that the first few weeks will be the hardest, but also know that the school, your kids, and YOU will adapt to home learning – this will help reduce anxiety all around
  • Set up a dedicated workspace for you (hard in an HK apartment – my desk is in my bedroom, which means I spend about 20 hours a day in my bedroom, not ideal)! This helps your brain get into work mode and also lets the kids know that you are in work mode (not parenting or teaching mode!) when you’re there

My workspaceMy home learning corner

  • Set up a dedicated workspace for the kids (also easier said than done in an HK apartment)! This helps standardize / formalize home learning and helps kids get into learning mode
    • Ideally, find a space with natural light  
    • Remove distractions (toys, etc.)
    • Label manila folders for each subject, keep them next to each kid’s dedicated space
    • Give each kid a notebook to capture daily to do list
    • Put necessary supplies within arm’s reach: pencils, pencil sharpener, erasers, crayons, plain paper, notebooks, sticky notes, devices (our school is using daily videos, zoom calls, and apps as part of the home learning curriculum)
    • Consider buying this $17 corkboard / dry erase board. It’s a huge hit with my kids – for some reason, they love writing their to do lists and checking them off each day
    • At the end of the day, make sure your kids clean up the workspace (themselves!) – this helps transition out of home learning and makes the next day start more smoothly

Kids WorkspaceKids’ home learning corner (it’s not typically this clean!)

  • Set a routine that works for your family and share responsibilities! Initially, I was doing the majority of home learning, as my job is more flexible and allows me to work from home full-time; we quickly discovered this wasn’t going to work. In week ~2, Liam started getting the girls going each morning and this has helped a lot. Not only did it make me a lot less frazzled, it helps the kids because they are not stuck with one “teacher” all day long. Here’s our rough routine:
    • Over breakfast, he gets each girl started, watches their morning videos with them (at our school, the classroom teachers have daily morning videos, as well as videos for reading, writing, math, Chinese, etc.) 
    • While they watch the videos, the girls take notes on their schedule and what they’re supposed to do that day
    • Liam then pulls up all the relevant links
      • Activities / apps
      • Online books
      • Zoom call links
    • Girls start with their independent learning or zoom calls
    • I check in with them throughout the day
    • We take breaks based on daily schedule (for lunch, exercise, dog walks, play time, etc.)

Parking Lot

  • Set boundaries with your work schedule / requirements. When I have times I need to work without interruption (conference calls, etc.), I let the kids know my schedule ahead of time and tell them “I will be in a long meeting from 10:30 – 12:30 and you cannot interrupt me during that time.” And then I lock my door
  • Be honest with your team / boss about your limitations. I work with a team spread across Asia Pacific so we are all under different work restrictions and have different family commitments. I’ve found it helpful to be completely honest with my boss / team about my situation and let them know when I’ll be offline due to family commitments. This is standard stuff but I think it’s especially important now, as everyone is overwhelmed and stressed. I also try to block working time on my calendar when I know my kids will be engaged with tutor, zoom calls, etc. 
  • Create a “parking lot” (Liam adapted a tried and true consulting tool to home learning!) and use this to enforce boundaries on learning / working / parenting routines. My kids LOVE the parking lot, probably because Liam is artsy and made it look so cute…

Parking Lot (1)“Put it in the parking lot!”

  • Incorporate daily exercise. This helps so much with sanity (mine and kids) – I usually have to push / fight to get them motivated but they’re always in much better moods after
    • Go on a walk
    • Do some yoga (we love these free kids yoga videos from Cosmic Kids)
    • Play soccer (my husband uses Beast Mode Soccer for training inspiration)

Cosmic Kids YogaCosmic Kids yoga break

Urban sit upsUrban hike and sit-ups

  • Take time for yourself. Whether it’s getting out to exercise sans kids, reading a book alone with lunch, going for a walk, listening to a podcast, whatever — if you’re exhausted and stressed it will make everything worse, so do whatever you need to make yourself happier (And if you need any true crime podcast recommendations, let me know…)
  • Seek out people to help, like a tutor or high school student. We found a fabulous mom in our building who tutors the girls in math twice a week. I also hired our friends’ high school daughter to come work with them twice a week. The kids love when these awesome women come over – it’s a change of pace and breaks up the routine. It takes the burden off of me during the day, gives me uninterrupted work time, and is really taking their work to the next level. As a bonus, I love knowing I’m helping other people in our community
  • Connect with your community. While a lot of community activities are off the table, outdoor activities are a good way to get active, outside, and engage with people, while still being mindful of risks (e.g., not touching, washing hands, maintaining distance, etc.) We’ve been pleasantly surprised to have really bonded with a lot of amazing families through this experience, whether through beach days, game nights, or outdoor playdates with kids. Doing “normal” things makes me so much happier and gives us all much-needed energy and endorphins
  • Communicate with your spouse / partner / childcare provider / family support network. This is a team sport and changes daily. Let your teammates know when you need help and give them a chance to ask for yours
  • Order some puzzles and crafts. We have gotten into tie-dye. It’s messy as hell but super fun and occupies multiple hours over multiple days. Takes me back to my Camp Lake Hubert days and is a ton of fun. Dharma Trading Company has tons of cool inspiration and products

Tie dye, origami, and monkeys doing puzzles…

Hi this is Riley (Anne’s daughter) I have a few things to add.

One cool thing is to write a letter to someone. It helps your writing and it is fun to get mail back!

Another thing I do is reading. It is my favorite thing to do even if I do not have an assignment.

My last suggestion is to get outside and play with a friend or friends. You might not want to, but it always makes me happier and makes me want to do it again.

I hope you enjoyed my suggestions!

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Good luck, ladies and gents, YOU’VE GOT THIS!

Back in the Saddle…and dressed to impress

DC is the land of the power suit and pearls. When I first moved here from LA back in 2003 (in my early-20s) I was shocked to go out to bars and see other women my age wearing suits or sweater sets and pearls – even on a Saturday night. My crop tops didn’t seem to fit in. But fast forward a few months and I was right there with them – black skirt, black pumps, sweater set, and big chunky pearls.

.Suit and Pearls (1)

I first realized my style had gotten a bit lame when I started working part-time at an Old Town clothing boutique with decidedly cooler-dressed women than me.  I stepped it up a bit, adding some fun DVF wrap dresses and MJ items to the mix, but after a number of years downtown, I was back where I started. I had another reawakening when I was lucky enough to spend six months in Paris. My Ann Taylor dresses and suits certainly didn’t fit the bill in the chic area surrounding the embassy! I couldn’t afford any Parisian couture, but I loved strolling the streets of Paris, window shopping, and being inspired by French women’s classic style.

After years of working full-time in an office and donning business attire (lame or otherwise) five days a week, landing in Hanoi was a shock to the system. No office. No business attire. And it was hot. And humid. Far worse than D.C. in August – and not much air conditioning. No longer did I need to wear uptight professional attire every day, so I embraced it: shorts, tanks, workout gear, and loose elephant pants most days. I became a lot more relaxed and enjoyed not having to think too much about getting dressed.

So here I am, back in D.C., plotting out my next move, and trying to figure out what to wear. While certainly not a huge obstacle to overcome, it is an important consideration while searching for a job. And it turns out the tanks, elephant pants, and flip flops that were my uniform in Hanoi don’t cut it as professional attire in the DC area.

So I was excited to learn about a new clothing delivery service geared toward working women: MM.LaFleur. Its mission? “To help modern women feel polished and empowered, without having to think too much about their clothes.” I love the idea and the clothes look adorable. To start, you complete a survey on the MM.LaFleur website. Then they’ll send you a “Bento Box” of hand-picked items including a few dresses, a top, skirt, or knit, and possibly accessories. The company gives you four days to consider the items and return anything you don’t want. After your first order, MM.LaFleur charges a $25 styling fee per box, which they’ll waive if you keep a Bento item.

The best part? The clothes are designed by Miyako Nakamura, former head designer of Zac Posen, and are machine-washable and travel-friendly.

I can’t wait to try it…maybe it will help me land my dream job?!

Shine on!

P.S. I still love me a string of pearls and a pantsuit.

Trials of a “Trailing Spouse”

The expat life offers many delights but one element I’ve found challenging? Being stuck in the role of a “trailing spouse.” Yes it’s 2015. And yes, this term is still used widely.

Maybe it’s just my ego (I don’t necessarily excel at taking the back seat) but I think it’s more than that. It’s something to do with a sense of self and career being an integral part of identity and–sure–ego.

I find the term “trailing spouse” off putting because it suggests my sole career–and identity–is being a spouse (and a trailing one at that!). I loved this blog post on The Trailing Spouse Identity Project about the challenges of life, career, and identity as a trailing spouse, and how to stay positive and seize the opportunities it presents. The author astutely explains what I’ve struggled to convey:

What we do for a living is an inherent and (un)conscious factor in how we value ourselves— whether we judge it in terms of contribution to society or the money we make. When I stopped work I lost the measuring unit or reference point for judging the value of ‘me’.

Love this post and plan to start following the Time of Tea blog – check it out!

And shine on!

Making Muffins (aka Inspired and Missing my Kitchen)

I’ve been lucky to spend the past month traveling and spending lots of quality time with family and friends, many of whom I haven’t seen in years. Living a vagabond life has been fun but one thing I’m missing? My kitchen.

I can’t wait to get back in the kitchen to start cooking (and eating!) healthy food and this article in today’s Washington Post has me inspired: How to make a healthful muffin that doesn’t taste like one.

Making Muffins

I’ve eaten a lot of very unhealthy (though very tasty) muffins on this vacation and love the idea of a homemade recipe that is actually good for me. Better yet? One that my two and four year olds will both eat without complaining. If you have a healthy version of a pain au chocolat, send it my way…

From the Washington Post:

Whole-Grain Apple Crumb Muffins

12 to 15 servings

INGREDIENTS

For the topping

2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup finely chopped pecans

2 tablespoons whole-wheat pastry flour

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the muffins

2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup canola oil

2 large eggs

3/4 cup unsweetened plain applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk

1 medium Golden Delicious apple, cored and cut into 1/4-inch chunks

STEPS

For the topping: Whisk together the brown sugar, pecans, whole-wheat pastry flour, oil and cinnamon in a bowl.

For the muffins: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 12-well muffin pan with cooking oil spray.

Whisk together the whole-wheat pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl.

Whisk together the brown sugar, oil and eggs in a large bowl until well combined, then whisk in the applesauce and vanilla extract. Stir in the flour mixture in two additions, alternating with the buttermilk, until just combined. Gently stir in the apple chunks.

Divide the batter evenly among the wells of the muffin pan, then sprinkle with the topping mixture. (If you have batter left over, cover it and bake a second batch.) Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick or bamboo skewer inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Transfer the muffin pan to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes, then run a round-edged knife around the muffins to loosen them and unmold. Cool them completely on the rack before serving or storing.

Nutrition | Per serving (based on 15): 190 calories, 3 g protein, 28 g carbohydrates, 7 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 25 mg cholesterol, 200 mg sodium, 2 g dietary fiber, 14 g sugar

Beating the Beast that is Jet Lag

Sad Aloha

Travel is exhausting and stressful (especially with two kids) but the experiences and memories are always worth it. But one beast I’d happily leave behind (or at least tame)? Jet lag. We’re in the midst of a multi-week, multi-continent boondoggle and having a blast. But this jet lag is killer.

Hanoi to Honolulu: two flights, one red eye, and 17 hours of time difference. Honolulu to Boston? Two more flights, another red eye, six more hours of time difference. Lots of miles traveled, lots of whining, tons of fun, but not lots of sleep (at least not at the times it’s supposed to happen). Add to this no real routine and you get cranky, whiny kids and spent parents.

When I’m traveling solo, I know how to deal with jet lag: get on the destination schedule as soon as possible, exercise, get some sunshine, avoid napping during the day, and take a melatonin before bed. It’s not fun but I can tolerate it and am good to go after a few days. But when traveling with kids, my normal tactics don’t seem to work as well, especially because we’re staying in hotels or rental properties and trying to keep the kids quiet and avoid ruining other people’s vacations. 

Here are some tips for managing jet lag with munchkins:

  1. Stick to your routine as much as possible – meals, naps, bedtimes – replicating the schedule at home will help kids get acclimated.
  2. Get your kids outside and active. The sun will help get them on the new schedule and stay awake and being busy will tire them out!
  3. Encourage them to drink lots of water.
  4. Bring a few familiar items to help with the bedtime routine – blanket, lovie, nightlight – this will help comfort your kids and (hopefully) make bedtime a bit easier.
  5. If traveling with a toddler in the midst of potty training, expect some setback and bring some extra diapers and/or changes of clothes everywhere you go.

And here are some new tips I plan to try the next time we travel:

  • Delicious Baby has these great tips for how to help kids sleep better on the plane (thereby reducing jet lag’s duration and unpleasantness).
  • Take fish oil on the plane to boost circulation (for me, not the kids).
  • Focus on maintaining good sleep routines before the trip.

Fellow family travelers: what are your tips for beating jet lag with kids?

Shine on!

Expat Lessons Learned: Seven Things I Learned During my Two Years Overseas

photo

The first year is the hardest. I knew this—in theory—before I left the States, but reality was a lot harder than I imagined. I had planned everything to make the transition easier but it turned out that most of my plans didn’t work out. Part-time graduate school? Didn’t work out. Part-time job? Not when I was ready for it. Homesickness, discomfort, exhaustion – I experienced these on entirely new levels. I’d lived abroad before moving to Hanoi and thought it would be no big deal, even though I was leaving my career, bringing my 2.5 year and 2 month olds along for the ride, and didn’t speak the language. Truth? I was so naïve, and the first year nearly did me in.

The second year is so much better. Throughout the lows of my first year, several seasoned expat friends assured me the second year would be better. They were right. After the first year, I had friends, a routine, could communicate in basic Vietnamese, and things (cultural differences, directions, etc.) felt more normal and comfortable.

Forget the “old me.” Abandoning the “old me” was hard, and I held on to it for a long time. I didn’t even realize how strongly ingrained my identity—full-time working mom who “did it all” despite the stress—was until I left it behind in D.C. All of a sudden I found myself in a new country, with two kids, no friends, and no job. And I was miserable for a while. I mourned “the old me” and obsessed about how to get her back. I realize now that I was grieving my old life, and it was a painful process. But after 1+ years of feeling sorry for myself, I took action and started making things happen. I embraced the new me. And when I did, it felt like someone had ripped off blinders I didn’t even know I was wearing!

All of a sudden, opportunities started presenting themselves because I was open to them. The new me is still evolving, but I like her.Also, the more I talked with friends, the more I realized that the changes and challenges at this point in my career and family life were common and normal. It’s just that being abroad made them more emphatic. There was no old routine to fall back on and get lost in—just the hard cold facts staring me in the face. And it was up to me to address them.

Communication is critical (and HARD). Communicating is entirely different with a 12-hour time difference. It requires thought, planning, and even some sacrifice (getting up early, staying up late). I thought it would be so easy with FaceTime, Skype, iMessage, etc. but the truth is, everyone is busy and unless you make communicating a priority, it doesn’t happen. I was pleasantly surprised by some of the people who made efforts to communicate (not necessarily those I expected) and it reminded me to be a better communicator. I’m a work in progress, but I have a new appreciation for family and friends that went the extra mile to keep in touch.

Distance makes the heart grow fonder. Cliché for a reason: it’s true. I love my country but have never appreciated it as much as I do now, after two years living so far away from it. I loved getting to know Vietnam, its people, and its culture, but I also found myself missing aspects of the U.S. I usually take for granted—its diversity of people, cultures, religions, foods, the clean air, city parks, sidewalks unobstructed by motorbikes, and affordable, accessible consumer goods from all over the world

Kids are more adaptable than I thought. In the “helicopter parent” world of American parenting (especially in the D.C. area of hyper-competitive everything), I succumbed to planning everything for my kids. I’m still a planner, but I’ve learned the lesson—the hard way—that the best laid plans can be disrupted (or chucked entirely). Like all kids, mine love their routines, but they also love experiencing new things and, after an adjustment period, can really thrive in new environments. They adapted faster to living overseas than I did!

Amid the challenges, traveling with kids also brings an entirely new perspective. In no way was it always easy (turns out they don’t sell Children’s Benadryl at the Luang Prabang night market) and there were frustrations, scratches, mosquito bites, and tears (theirs and mine!). But I found that encountering new places, cultures, sounds, and tastes becomes more multi-dimensional with your kids in tow, because you experience things through their eyes. My former college backpacker self still independently revels in the walk over the swinging bamboo bridge or finding a quiet nook on a bend in the Mekong. But doing this with my daughters conveyed a whole new level of fulfillment and sense of discovery. This lesson isn’t unique to being an expat, but for me, it took moving halfway around the world to learn it.

The expat life is liberating and FUN. I met so many incredible people in the past two years. People I never would have met in my “old” life. While I was learning to appreciate close family and friends back home, I was also learning to value the new friendships and experiences overseas. I met women from all over the world, of all different ages, with myriad experiences, and—regardless of these often considerable differences—we could connect and relate based on shared experiences as Hanoi expats. Becoming active in the Hanoi International Women’s Club was a pivotal point in my happiness, because I realized I wasn’t alone. There were tons of other women going through the same thing, and we could have fun. Exploring a new city, reminiscing about the places we’d been, venting about Hanoi’s challenges, and reveling in its charms. (Also enjoying the occasional glass of wine.)

Blog, Interrupted

Greetings, Shine readers!

Apologies for the unexpected hiatus. A week dealing with the plague (at least that’s what it felt like!), a whirlwind trip to the States, and the ensuing jet lag left me exhausted. The good news? I had a lot of quiet time to reflect, and that energized me and generated lots of new ideas.

Back in the day, I used to dread flights over five hours long. They were so boring and I was antsy to just get there already. But now, after doing several trans-Pacific flights with two young kids, the long-haul plane ride by myself seemed like a vacation in and of itself.Those of you who travel with young children (or have to sit near someone else traveling with them) can probably relate. Let’s just say, I’ve never been so happy to have two connections and a 12 hour flight in coach. It was amazing!

An observation: non-U.S. air carriers are far superior to American ones on long-haul flights. Don’t get me wrong – I love me some America! But Asian carriers have such better food, drinks, and service on international flights. I was so enthusiastic about the service that I found myself taking pictures of inanimate objects. First example: Thai Airways gave me a fresh orchid boutonnière as I landed at Narita. How cute is that? I felt like I was going to prom instead of a two hour layover!Thai Airways Orchid in Narita

Second example: this awesome bento-style lunch served en route from Tokyo to Dulles on All Nippon Airways (ANA).

ANA Bento Lunch

And to top it off? Haagen Dazs ice cream for dessert. YES.

Haagen Dazs in the Air

As I’m wrapping up my time in Hanoi, I’ve been spending a lot of time reflecting on the past two years. And this quick trip back to the States gave me a new perspective on life overseas–and life in the U.S. Look for my next post: Expat Lessons Learned.