We have COVID ..but our kids are negative. What we did

On Sunday this past week, we had just gotten home from being in Louisiana at my in-laws for the holiday. We spent the day putting Christmas away and unpacking all our stuff. It was a pretty crazy day (I logged 12K steps around our tiny house) and I felt tired but…fine. That night I took a covid test at 9 PM just to be safe after flying before I visited an elderly family member and to my surprise….both Kent and I are positive. 

The kicker - our kids have been testing negative (thankfully!) every day.

So here we are - spending a week indoors trying to work, recover, and have your kids home. And it's negative temps outside. 

I’m going to say it - pretty much EVERYTHING about the current situation of covid is a tough pill to swallow for parents.

But- we are all here. So, on the blog, I want to share a couple of things I am doing for my own health (from a fitness perspective) as well as how we are dealing with parenting when we are both positive/kids negative.

I hope this is helpful!!

1. I am easing off of my normal cardio routine. 

Last Friday (possibly my first day of covid) I did an early morning workout and remember being super surprised how weak I felt doing chest presses. While I’d consider myself asymptomatic for the most part - I still feel incredibly tired (this is coming from someone who took zero naps during both pregnancies). I have also noticed that when I’m training my 1:1 clients I”m really out of breath talking for 45 minutes. 

I’m telling you this because even if you are feeling totally fine but testing positive - your lung health is nothing to mess around with. I’m not a doctor but personally, I’m choosing to air on the side of caution when it comes to my respiratory rate.

2. I’m trying my best to stay away from processed sugars for my entire family.

I’m giving myself a lot of grace in parenting/my own nutrition this week…but I’m focusing bribes on screen time over treats. Why? sugar usually fuels viruses - so it’s usually in your best interest to stay away from them when trying to not get sick (goal for the kids)...This being said it's Tuesday so I reserve the right to take this back.    

3. I'm incorporating bone broth wherever I can.

Bone Broth adds protein and reduces inflammation, and supports gut health…all super important when you're trying not to get sick. I’ve been steaming my kids' frozen veggies in bone broth, adding it to the soups we buy, and cooking my kids pasta in it!

This is the brand I like - you can use METHOD20 to save it you want to try it.

4. I’m reaching out for help and taking stuff off my plate.

I have a really hard time taking stuff off my schedule - especially things I've already committed to. This is ESPECIALLY TRUE for my brand. My brand is - ME and I care so badly for it. That being said - I have made the decision to take teaching group classes off my plate this week. Why? Because as important as it is to show up for things, it's even more important to show up 100%. And I know I can’t do that right now.

In addition, I have had some friends reach out offering support with groceries, home tests, etc. Usually, I would tell people not to worry - we are ok. But this week I’ve followed through with some groceries we needed and asked for home tests if anyone has any to spare. We are all in this together and I will be more than happy to return the favor.

5. I’m wearing a K95 Mask (or double) around the kids and trying not to be right in their face (as hard as it is).

Anyone with toddlers knows it's impossible to steer clear of physical interaction with your kids..especially my two-year-old. So - I”m wearing a  mask 24/7 except when I'm locked in the basement teaching my clients. It sucks - and is not helpful for my shortness of breath but it's necessary.

6. I’m setting a timer to drink water every 2 hours.

I have found myself incredibly thirsty this past week (not sure if that's the cold weather or a symptom) but I'm trying to remember to drink tons of water. When I'm around my kids all day I often forget to eat or drink anything for long periods of time and it's not great. So - I've set a repeating alarm to go off every two hours to remind me. Note- I did this during my pregnancy with Beau when I was always chasing Bailey and it really helped me stay hydrated.

7. I'm counting my blessings.

This is a pretty weird and rough start to 2022 for almost all parents I know. So I’m aiming for the positive.

-My kids are testing negative (fingers crossed this is still the case when we post this)

-My husband and I aren’t super sick

-I’m SO AWARE how much I love my job, and how thankful I am for my community.

-I’m SO AWARE how supportive my clients, families from daycare, and extended family have been in the past few days. It means the world.

Here is to a speedy recovery for everyone sick, and staying healthy to every one negative. Please reach out with any questions and let me know how I can support you!!