Sarah Crossman Sullivan

Atlanta Parent talked to Sarah Crossman Sullivan, attorney and author of “Beautifully Broken & Astoundingly Whole,” who is the mom to Jack, 19, Henry, 16, Cecily, 14, and Gabrielle, 12.

What’s your go-to craft or activity?

• We are trying to do the normal things in different ways: when we go to exercise, exercise outside in a different place with a different rhythm and a different playlist, or have a pizza picnic in the hallway, which helps break up the routine.
• We’ve done a drive-in movie, where we projected a movie on the garage door.
• If one child gets a paint project assignment from a teacher, all the kids do it.
• We’re doing everything together, so the kids see us try, fall and bounce back. We look at it as the ways the six of us can talk about the goods and the hards and embrace the small joys. In doing that in anything that we approach, it allows us to give ourselves grace and find some laughter.

What’s your go-to meal? 

One-pot pasta, which we made up.

We’re also buying gift cards from local restaurants to give out now to frontline workers, and we’ve ordered in, enjoying a treat of Pero’s Pizza or Thai Diner.

One Pot Pasta

• Sauté 6 garlic cloves and 1 yellow onion in a pot.
• Add in 1 can of crushed tomatoes and 1 small can of tomato paste.
• Add in 2 lbs. ground turkey. Top with 3 8-oz. containers of sliced mushrooms.
• Let that cook while you boil a box of rotini noodles. Mix together.

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

We shouldn’t jump to solve a moan of boredom. Boredom isn’t bad. We can suggest ideas and options to cure the nothing to do blues, including chores, or we can also stir questions to challenge kids to try something new. Loneliness and isolation are far different than seeking a spark of entertainment. We don’t want to miss the benefits of boredom by quickly trying to ensure kids are constantly entertained. Imagination, creativity and wander bloom in quiet spaces. As parents, we need to let these astounding, bubbling marvels, and perhaps even foundational childhood moments, take shape—sans screens.

Is there an educational app or activity they enjoy?

Microsoft To Do has been helpful with organization and planning their tasks. We also utilize Khan Academy.

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

The kids are setting up lunch hours with grandma, and talking about what they’re serving for lunch, asking her about the things she’s conquered, and they’re also sharing music across generations. When we’re trying to learn a new recipe, we’ll call grandma to bake with her. There’s something soothing about doing a task with others and talking while you’re learning and trying to make sure what we do in this time of social distancing is not isolating.

It’s vital for us from our focus as a family and our faith that what we do each day is through a lens of love and how we can serve others. Sometimes, it’s how to best serve the six people and two rescue pups in this house. When we really get excited and become our best selves is when we figure out how to serve outside of ourselves, such as putting a sign to create messages of hope in the front yard.

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

Echo my mantra all throughout the day: grace, grace, grace. There are significant life skills children can learn right now in this journey: why they should make their bed, why they should be able to scrub a bathroom, do their own laundry. We have this wonderful gift to teach them right now how to be wonderful humans and great roommates.

Don’t look at social media posts as competition. Celebrate what you see but don’t elevate comparison. If they’re planting an elaborate garden and you’re just starting with seeds, or they’re cooking a gourmet meal and you’re just making meatloaf, you’re both heroes.