WF
MY TURN
Becoming a Stay-at-Home Family
How the pandemic helped one mom appreciate low-key days
A s a first-time stay-at-home mom,
every day was a new adventure
in San Francisco. My son and
I could go weeks without
repeating an outing. We went to museums,
aquariums, library story times, playgroup
meet-ups, gym classes, the Zoo … The list
goes on and on.

I stayed up to date on all the latest
activities, new playgrounds and kids play
space openings. We tried them all and had
a blast. I prided myself on keeping us busy,
and I delighted in watching him explore,
learn and grow up in such a vibrant city
with so much to do and see. The idea of
staying home and missing an adventure
was unheard of.

We moved across the country to the
D.C. area after my second son was born. I
couldn’t wait to have daily adventures with
him while my older son was in elementary
school, taking advantage of all the
wonderful museums and family-friendly
activities the nation’s capital has to offer.

Just as he turned two, I finally felt settled
into our new home and was ready to
venture out more. Then the pandemic hit.

Staying home with my two boys day
after day was a foreign concept to me. That
first week in March was the longest week
of my life. Each day dragged on and on. I
couldn’t imagine how we would keep busy
at home for hours on end.

On the first day of the lockdown, we
made blueberry muffins together. I felt
so accomplished and proud, as I am not
someone who usually bakes. I looked at
the clock when we were done: 10 a.m. The
days seemed to go on like this, with lots
of glances at the clock, wondering how we
would get through the next hour.

And yet, over the next few weeks, we
somehow found a rhythm and routine.

While we did some more baking and other
planned activities, I mostly allowed the
boys to carve out the day in their own
ways. I took my cues from them. When
they needed fresh air, we’d walk around
our neighborhood or have trunk picnics at
a nearby library parking lot. As the weather
got nicer, we discovered some local trails,
alternating between them every few days.

34 Washington FAMILY MARCH 2021
BY NATHANIA CANTANUCCI
Nathania Cantanucci of Falls Church and her sons, Joseph, 8, and Calvin, 3.

Almost a year into our new lifestyle, it
often crosses my mind that my second
son’s daily experiences are so completely
different than my first’s. Instead of
exploring museums, the highlight of our
day is often eating sandwiches in the back
of my SUV. However, the smile on his face
as he chases his older brother around the
parking lot in between bites of PB and J
tells me all I need to know. My younger
son is just as happy, smart and engaged in
life as my older son was at that age.

Next year, he will be starting preschool.

I think I will send him four days a week,
leaving one day open to explore D.C. as I had
originally hoped. On second thought, maybe
we will use that time to stay home and have
sandwich picnics in parking lots. n



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