Podcast
Mom's Secret Fort
Hosted by Janel Schermerhorn · EN
Janel Schermerhorn is an American living in Berlin, Germany. She tells personal stories from her secret fort to talk about adjustments to daily life while being locked down during the coronavirus pandemic.
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
School in a Pandemic
May 29, 202000:11:57Tap to summarizeHow does a primary school open during a pandemic? Janel takes us on a step by step tour of the social distancing and hygiene protocol at her daughter's primary school in Berlin, Germany.
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Fourth Grade Flashback
May 29, 202000:05:37Tap to summarizeThere's something about the kids you grew up with. Janel gets tagged in her fourth grade class photo during the coronavirus pandemic and the nostalgia hits hard. Will our kids ever get back to a carefree childhood?
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Silver Lining
May 20, 202000:06:25Tap to summarizeNine weeks of closed hair salons during coronavirus lockdown means many of us have a big gray stripe in our hair. Janel has an appointment to get rid of hers but is hesitating. What on earth could be so important about some gray hair?
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The Rules of Re-entry
May 14, 202000:07:52Tap to summarizeComing out of lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic can be messy. Janel shares talks about navigating the many contradictions and the few things she knows for sure she can do to stay sane.
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Damp Cloth
May 6, 202000:07:12Tap to summarizeJanel faces sending her 10-year-old daughter back to a school during the coronavirus lockdown. A school whose initial hygiene plan wasn't exactly awesome. But with new information and perspective she happily walks her to school and even gets a second chance at a sweet moment she had missed last fall.
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Lovely Day
Apr 30, 202000:05:36Tap to summarizeJanel wonders if she'll know exactly how many cups of coffee her husband drinks for the rest of her life. Having the whole family home during the coronavirus lockdown isn't always easy, but the good side can sneak up at any moment and point a water gun at you.
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Dog Days
Apr 24, 202000:06:54Tap to summarizeJanel goes into a slump after being attacked...well almost...by vicious lap dogs during a peaceful walk in the forest. She turns her slump into a campaign to show appreciation to those that are building community during the coronavirus lockdown.
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Social Distance
Apr 14, 202000:06:53Tap to summarizeJanel talks about how hard it is to stand directly in front of good friends and not hug them during social distancing. But why hadn’t she been hugging her family as much as usual? After a grumpy exchange over breakfast, she realizes what she’s been missing and remembers to hug it out with the ones she loves most.
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Eddie Murphy's Home School
Apr 5, 202000:06:50Tap to summarizeSooo much screen time, means seeing things we shouldn't. Oops. Janel shares how her lack of screening movies leads to an awkward conversation with her daughter. You'll end up with recommendations for what to watch and what not to (with kids) while we all start scraping the bottom of the Netflix barrel during the coronavirus lockdown.
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Fifth Snack
Apr 1, 202000:05:21Tap to summarizeJanel reports on how her family's excessive snacking during the coronavirus lockdown has driven her to lay down the law. From Mom's Secret Fort she confesses to her role in the problem and shares what she's doing about it.
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