Quarantining with Toddlers: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Quarantining with toddlers is like that Dan Hicks song: how can I miss you if you won't go away? I have never listened to Dan Hicks, but a friend's mom used to say this. I think it sums up most relationships, even the best ones. You need a break once in a while. 

E just turned four years old days ago. M is 15.5 months old. At the moment, E demands more attention (and energy) than M. I'm not sure if this is due to personality or age or both. E is outgoing, extremely talkative, and easily excitable. She is also cautious, likes and follows rules (most of the time), and loves reading and puzzles. M is more introverted, a risk-taker, and very persistent when she has her mind set on something. She is independent-minded, super active, and keeps herself entertained. 

Between the two of them, one or the other is napping between 10am and 3pm. Between 2pm and 3pm, they are both napping. This is the golden hour. However, E is on the cusp of starting preschool and will soon not nap at all. M seems like she is growing out of her afternoon nap. Fortunately, I don't think this will happen during our quarantine. 

E likes doing worksheets from her activity book, and it keeps her current with basic skills she has already learned. E and M are about 2.75 years apart and are at the ages where they play together. This is a game-changer, especially during this quarantine. Here are some of the other things we have been doing:

The thing with E, though, is that she talks all the time. We raised her to be trilingual, and she fires on all three cylinders. I know most of this is typical and even desired of toddlers, However, it seems sometimes that it stems from a need for attention more than genuine curiosity/desire to engage in conversation. I also cannot eat anything in front of her without giving away half my portion. We try engaging her in different activities and giving her "E time" but alas, we need to do other things. 

E is due to start preschool in April. I might enroll her in a drop-in daycare before then to provide her with the social interactions she craves. Even expensive private daycares in Tokyo cost less than $1000 for older kids and around $1000 for infants and babies. This compared to $2000 and $2200, respectively, for our Chicago daycare. 

Japanese daycare centers are subsidized at different levels. The higher the subsidy, the lower the rates, and the longer the waiting list. Overall, there is a shortage of daycares in Tokyo. 

It is easier taking care of M. She requires some watching and creates chaos and messes. But it is less mentally draining. And the apartment is novel enough and large enough for her to explore for now. M will be attending full-time a partially subsidized daycare in our building - the ultimate luxury for us. 

For now, TV is the most relaxing time for everyone. And snack time is never boring these days. 

So the good is getting used to everything together. The bad is disciplining your kid to no avail when the real solution is social stimulation. And the ugly? Getting tired of your being around your kids (and them getting tired of you). And secretly eating so you don't have to share :)