A working mother finds time for crafts, school

A working mother finds time for crafts, school
Brianna Juliano is keeping her children busy during the quarantine with crafts, schoolwork and a very defined daily schedule. Photo by Brianna Juliano

CORNWALL — Unfortunately, in our particular region, we will not be receiving specific direction from the school on distance learning until the end of next week.

In the meantime, I have kept my kids on a regular schedule to try and maintain their engagement and also my sanity.

We wake up everyday around the same time that we’d all be getting ready for school and work and follow a schedule like the one in the photo above.

Throughout the day I check in, but I am also working from home on regular office hours so this is really helpful for us all. Just making the extra effort to wake up early and get changed as if we’re leaving the house makes a huge difference for everyone! Pajamas are a big distraction.

To supplement the suggested links that were provided by our teachers, I also purchased workbooks that cover a variety of subjects in math and English Language Arts. I stocked up on a bunch of craft materials at Michael’s before the stores started to close (but I also always have plenty of art tools on hand).

On days that are cold or too rainy to be outside, I use the Nintendo Switch to help me out with an hour of Just Dance or yoga to keep them active and moving.

I try not to just end our day at 4 p.m. and tell my kids they’re free to do what they please; I feel like that’s too open-ended and they’d spend the remainder of the day watching TikTok videos until their brains melted out of their ears. I give them dedicated “free time” between 4 and 5 p.m. and then they help me with dinner or other chores around the house.

Our schedule isn’t always 100% concrete and we’ve definitely sprinkled in other activities here and there, but having some kind of general outline keeps us all functioning.

Note: TikTok is a website with short videos at www.tiktok.com.

 

Brianna Juliano works in Cornwall and lives in Torrington. Her children are in second grade and fourth grade.

 

Editor’s note: The Lakeville Journal is providing content related to the coronavirus outbreak for free as a public service to our readers. Please support local journalism by subscribing to The Lakeville Journal, The Millerton News, or TriCornerNews.com or by becoming a contributor to our membership model. Click here for more information.

Latest News

Sharon Dennis Rosen

SHARON — Sharon Dennis Rosen, 83, died on Aug. 8, 2025, in New York City.

Born and raised in Sharon, Connecticut, she grew up on her parents’ farm and attended Sharon Center School and Housatonic Valley Regional High School. She went on to study at Skidmore College before moving to New York City, where she married Dr. Harvey Rosen and together they raised two children.

Keep ReadingShow less
‘Garland Jeffreys: The King of In Between’ at the Moviehouse

Claire and Garland Jeffreys in the film “The King of In Between.”

Still from "The King of In between"

There is a scene in “The King of In Between,” a documentary about musician Garland Jeffreys, that shows his name as the answer to a question on the TV show “Jeopardy!”

“This moment was the film in a nutshell,” said Claire Jeffreys, the film’s producer and director, and Garland’s wife of 40 years. “Nobody knows the answer,” she continued. “So, you’re cool enough to be a Jeopardy question, but you’re still obscure enough that not one of the contestants even had a glimmer of the answer.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Haystack Book Festival: writers in conversation
Jerome A. Cohen, author of the memoir \u201cEastward, Westward: A Lifein Law.\u201d
Jerome A. Cohen, author of the memoir \u201cEastward, Westward: A Lifein Law.\u201d

The Haystack Book Festival, a program of the Norfolk Hub, brings renowned writers and thinkers to Norfolk for conversation. Celebrating its fifth season this fall, the festival will gather 18 writers for discussions at the Norfolk Library on Sept. 20 and Oct. 3 through 5.

Jerome A. Cohen, author of the memoir “Eastward, Westward: A Lifein Law.”Haystack Book Festival

Keep ReadingShow less