Most families have a comfortable routine they live by, but if something happens to disrupt that routine – such as someone falling ill – it can throw a wrench into the works, and yet a temporary change is not worth crafting a whole new routine.

The first thing to do when something like this happens is to go easy on yourself and give yourself permission not to do everything! A traditional household routine is usually based on two adults, one of whom spends the day at work while the other is at home. If one part of that equation changes, you cannot simply continue as though everything is normal. If you are in that situation, even temporarily, the easiest way to deal with it in the short term is just to leave some things until the situation returns to normal and then prioritize the things that are still necessary.