Atlanta Parent talked to Jennifer Boettcher, Director of Communications for the City of Dunwoody, who is the mom to Blake, 14, and Bo, 12.

What’s your go-to craft or activity?

  • Getting outside. Play basketball in the driveway, Wiffle ball in the front yard or go on walks. We went to the Etowah Indian Mounds, as we’d never been, and it was really interesting and beautiful. It’s been nice to get out and get a little exercise and fresh air.
  • I’m a big scrapbooker, so I’ve been taking a lot of photos to document this time in our lives, taking pictures of a card game, a game of Wiffle ball or family tennis, so we can look back and go ‘that’s what we did/that’s what that was all about.’ This has been stressful and difficult, but there are some really nice family moments we will want to remember.

What’s your go-to meal? 

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, so waffles and pancakes always start the day off right. My older son made French toast on Easter morning.

We’ve also been supporting local restaurants, which has been something to look forward to and to have something different. Dunwoody has a #DestinationDunwoody Restaurant Passport to encourage people to try new restaurants, and we enjoyed taking part in that. We love Taqueria Los Hermanos, Takorea, NFA Burger and Jason’s Deli. We get takeout, so we can get out of the house and break up the routine of being at home.

What do you do when your kids say, “I’m bored?” 

Go outside. Play with each other. Our boys get along, so I’ll say, “Grab your brother, go outside and figure it out.”

We also have shows we’ll watch as a family, like “Survivor.” We all love NASCAR, and they’re not racing right now, but each weekend, drivers are doing iRacing from home, and we all enjoy watching that. There’s been more iRacing time than during a normal schooltime. We’re doing our best to keep a routine, but we also have flexibility.

Is there an educational app or activity they enjoy?

Khan Academy

How are you connecting to other relatives and friends during this time?

Zoom, text messages and phone have been the best way to keep in touch.

What other advice do you have for Moms at this time?

We have to go easy on ourselves and each other. This is tough stuff. There’s so much uncertainty, and none of us will do this perfectly. You’re allowed to make mistakes and have bad days or hours, but you just have to keep trying, keep a positive attitude and keep up hope for what comes out of this. As difficult and sad as this has been, I do think we’re making some connections with our family that we’ll cherish in the future. None of us wanted this to happen, but I’m trying to appreciate the time together and the slow pace, as it’s an opportunity for real family connections.

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