Immediately – is the lid on the bug box? Why are all the glue sticks empty? Did we take the wine out of the freezer last night?

More long term – what are we feeding the kids? It seems like homeschooling makes them ravenous, so making sure that a bowl of premade snacks (read: fruit bars and cookies) is ready the night before is a must-do. Though we used to do quite a bit of baking at home, now we save time (and support local businesses) by also ordering through local vendors. Plus we keep a stocked pantry, in case of shortages of Peroni, milk boxes and decent olive oil.

Next up would be, of course, keeping an eye on what’s happening in Beijing and beyond – what is still open that we can make use of? We also make sure to do frequent calls with family overseas, both to reassure them that we’re all fine/happy/healthy after what they see on the news, and also to keep them as active in the kids' lives as possible.

No mottos here, really … just the goals of staying happy and being outside as much as possible. Right now, it’s easy to get complacent and fall into a type of “groundhog day” existence, where we just keep doing the same things.

We do try to stick with the same traditions we had pre-Covid (family bike rides, Friday pizza, and movie nights) but also mix it up by having the kids try new sports (rollerblading) and making use of the amazing outdoor space that Beijing has, like the canal walkways right outside our door. Kids are great motivators, and at the end of a day of online schooling they’re like bouncy balls – they NEED to be “released outside,” and so the whole family tends to pour into the park from 4pm onwards until dinner. We all look forward to that time together.

By being thankful, and being realistic. At the beginning of Covid here in Beijing, so many families were separated, as spouses and kids headed out of China. We have been together from the start, and that has really helped us as a family. When Sofia, our youngest daughter was born in early 2020, her two older sisters were at home as schools were closed, and those months of them together seeing all of her “baby firsts” were honestly amazing.

As a family with an expat background in developing countries, we are also conscious of just how good we have had it here in Beijing. It’s not easy sometimes, but remembering how lucky we are helps. Also, we do dance parties whenever we get cranky – even if we’re supposed to be finishing homework (it can always wait, really). David Bowie singing “Let’s Dance” gets the girls going nuts every time. And sometimes you need a little bit of crazy to stay sane.

The people in our community – especially the office staff at work, the teachers at the girls’ school, and our amazing ayi – who personify what Beijing has been for us: resilient, fun, and a constant source of help for our family. And we also love the geography of the city itself. Moving through Beijing is like being inside a veritable kaleidoscope of history. It’s a great place to be based.

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