Mother Stories
Day in the Life: Kat De Jong
Written by Katie Hintz-Zambrano
Photography by Photos courtesy of Kat De Jong
Apr 7, 2020
In the second installment of our brand-new Day in the Life column, we asked S.F.-based pediatrician, mother of three, and previous MOTHER profile subject Kat De Jong to show us what her new normal looks like. As a medical professional working in a hospital, Kat’s anxiety about what lies ahead is at an all-time high. However, she’s also embracing the extra time at home with her family—James, 8, Ben, 6, and Poppy, 3, plus husband Brandon—and taking the good (children that love to play together) and the not-so-good (toddler tantrums) in stride. Check out what a day in her current life looks like, below.
Want to see how another Bay Area mama is holding it down at home? Check out our first Day in the Life with Marin mother of 4 Juvilynn Arbuthnut, here.
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- Kat, Pediatrician (hospitalist) Brandon, Brand Designer James, 8 Ben, 6 Penelope a.k.a. "Poppy," 3
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- Rise and shine!
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- "We live in San Francisco, and for now, social distancing and shelter in place is being instituted until the end of April."
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- "The kids wake each other up to watch T.V. between 6:30 and 7:30 A.M., and my husband Brandon and I get up soon after. I find it sweet that they enjoy each other’s company. Even though it's been rough with everyone sheltering in place, I am grateful that I don’t have to set any alarms unless I have to go to work that day."
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- Screen-time for the win!
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- "First, I wonder what day it is. Then, typically, I lay in bed for a few minutes and read the news. These days it’s so anxiety-provoking, that I try to limit my daily consumption. When I read before bed, I fall down a rabbit hole of worry and heaviness."
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- "Breakfast! Today Ben and Poppy help their dad make banana pancakes with syrup and cut up the fruit."
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- "Somedays it’s cereal or toast with butter or Nutella and fruit. The kids get milk, and I drink my first cup (of many cups!) of coffee."
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- "I love my Nespresso machine and drink my coffee black."
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- "I worked overnight two nights ago, and so I am feeling tired, but looking forward to spending the day at home. I know people are going stir-crazy sheltering in place, but since I work a lot, I am savoring this time together with no set agenda. Everyone is in a good mood this morning and so we decided to make breakfast together."
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- "It’s raining outside and the kids are journaling. Today’s prompt is to draw and color a cartoon character they made up. They do writing and math, too."
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- "The kids get screen time in the morning, but I try to keep it minimal between breakfast and evenings (some days are definitely more successful than others). For school, we start with a doodle (with Mo Willems, or Art for Kids Hub on YouTube), and then do some math, reading, and writing. The rest of the day is free, but we try to do art, science, and outdoor time. I also have the boys write in their journals every day. They journal freely and sometimes I give them a prompt, like writing a haiku for the first day of spring, or drawing their favorite comic book character and describing why the character is cool."
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- "At home, I try to have somewhat of a plan, so that the kids have a general schedule and know what to expect. I also try to keep the same bedtime as when school was in session, so that they don’t get overly tired. For myself, I try not to read the news too much in the evenings. Reading about the pandemic keeps me up at night."
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- "I’m fortunate that Brandon is a very involved dad. He is working from home and very busy these days, so I try to do as much as I can when I am home. When I am at the hospital, Brandon is solo parenting."
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- "We do some puzzles and play Blokus. Poppy has a meltdown because she wants the red blocks."
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- "I have a great deal of anxiety and feel very stressed about this pandemic. It’s hard to see the world go through this horrific time, and it’s difficult not knowing when it will all end. I work in pediatrics, and I am glad that children do not seem to get severely sick by COVID-19. But it’s such a scary time for us healthcare workers, and I worry about my colleagues in the frontlines such as the emergency departments, internal medicine, and ICUs. I am also afraid to bring the virus home, so I take hand washing, social distancing, and shelter in place very seriously. When I get home, I leave my shoes and clothes outside and run to the shower before giving my kids hugs."
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- "The younger two don’t really grasp the pandemic. I think James, my eldest, understands what’s happening, though I don't think he knows to what extent. We don't watch the news, and I don’t talk to the kids about the daily numbers, only that we need to stay home to keep others safe. Overall, they are loving being home, as they are super close."
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- The sweetest snuggles.
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- "I prepare lunch. Today we are having beef tostadas. I’m generally not a good cook, and trying hard to mix it up, as I am getting tired of eating my own meals!"
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- Poppy-approved.
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- "I need to hop on a video conference for work about the status of the hospital and surge planning for COVID-19. The kids share an iPad and watch a show."
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- Itching for the outdoors.
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- "The rain has stopped, and the sun has come out! We go outside and play a bit."
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- "They dig in the dirt, skate board, play with sticks, and sell 'rock cookies' from their playhouse."
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- Brother adventurers.
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- Getting mom in the shot...
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- ...courtesy of dad Brandon, who will soon take over, making the kids sausages, rice, and steamed broccoli for dinner and putting them to bed while Kat works an overnight shift.
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- "I savored taking my time during the day and hanging out with the family this morning. Even when we have a loose agenda, we try to take it easy. What I loved the most is watching the kids really enjoy each other. They are at the perfect ages, where the boys are into the same things and can entertain themselves, and they help take care of Poppy."
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- "I get ready for work by putting on my scrubs."
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- "When the kids are arguing and in tears, sometimes I lose my patience. I also have a lot of anxiety around going to work. My hospital and colleagues really try to take care of us, but there is so much unknown that I feel like I am bracing myself for the worst every time I go into work. The other day, I sat in my car for a few minutes before heading into the hospital and I cried."
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- "I look forward to the pandemic being over—it will be a huge relief. I also can’t wait to hug my friends and family, and go out for sushi!" For more on Kat and her family, be sure to read her MOTHER profile, and follow her on Instagram.
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Thank you Kat for all that you are doing to take care of us and our children. I can’t imagine how hard it must be everyday to leave your beautiful family and put your own life at risk. Thank you.
<3 <3 <3