Women helping women with home, work struggles during coronavirus crisis

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - The Inspiration Lab, a local group of over 300 women ranging in all ages, is making sure that all women have support during this unprecedented time.

“A lot of our women are working from home now and really trying to juggle everything and we’re really looking to support them this week,” said Stephanie Lanier, founder of The Inspiration Lab. “This week is our self-care week and really help women use the tools and resources they already have to deal with the stress that is going to be happening long-term now. So that’s part of what were looking forward to.”

Lanier says some of the women’s biggest struggles are trying to home school their children while keeping up with their work.

“We are living in an unprecedented time. We don’t have a playbook anyway and we really don’t have any guides to navigate this,” said business owner and mother, Courtney Gibbs.

Many of the women in the group have given each other advice and teaching methods which have worked for them. This way they can help lower the stress level for other mothers.

“When we home school our kids, we’re not sitting down and doing pen and pencil eight hours a day and your kids aren’t doing that at school either. So don’t feel like you have to recreate that," said Gibbs. “Incorporate their lessons into what you have to do. Turn science into going on a walk or math into helping you cook and build it into things you have to get done because that’s really what’s realistic right now.

“My oldest is working on her handwriting so were working on that a little bit and writing to her cousins and having pen pals and writing letters to grandma who can’t have visitors right now.”

The Inspiration Lab will have multiple virtual chats throughout the next few weeks on their website and on their Facebook page.

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