#AllCoopedUp with Missy Corleto, Director of The Sunshine Shack Preschool

Melissa Corleto is the Director of The Sunshine Shack Preschool. I have been lucky enough to help her and her family buy and sell several houses over the years. She has incredible taste and style and her parenting skills are off the chart. I will never forget the first time I met her. She was feeding her twins romanesco for an afternoon snack. I had never seen or heard of romanesco and my twins would never have tolerated a vegetable snack. In that very instant, I knew there was a lot I wanted to learn from Missy. Selling the homes she and her husband design are some of my most favorite career highlights. I can't wait to hear all she has to say about living through this time. -Jenna

What’s your profession, and what does your day-to-day work experience look like now?

I am Director of The Sunshine Shack Preschool in Hollywood. Distance learning for preschoolers is certainly not ideal, but the teachers and parents are working so hard to keep all of our kiddos engaged and connected. Zooming with the little ones while drinking coffee is such a sweet way to start the day. It’s way more uplifting than reading the news. Our school community is really tight-knit, so not being able to see everyone has been challenging. This week I started 'home visits'. I'm driving around and visiting all of the families (staying in my car, of course!). I asked all of the kids to put a drawing of a sun on their front door so I can find their houses.

What’s your advice for preschool parents?

1. Preschoolers thrive on predictability. Create some sort of schedule. If your little ones are acting out, it probably means they need more structure.

2. Spend 20 minutes a day with your child. I know you're probably spending all day with them, but your kiddos need at least 20 minutes a day devoted just to them. Let them decide on the activity. No phones. No computers. No cooking. No cleaning. Just play with them.

3. Resist the urge to buy a bunch of toys—you don't need them. This is such a good time to move away from constantly consuming and get creative. Go on a nature walk and find special leaves, seed pods and sticks. Sort them. Use them as inspiration for storytelling. Make a collage with them. Sit on your front stoop and watch the people walk by. You can also add in a little bit of math—how many people are on a bike, how many people are wearing hats, how many dogs walk by? Fill a bathtub with bubbles and toys and let your kiddos search for treasures.

Are there objects or spaces in your house that you are newly appreciating? Or are there objects and spaces you have come to loathe?

We spend almost all of our daytime hours in the kitchen and backyard. Our kitchen table has really become our hub—it's the dinner table, my office, and the kids' school and craft desk. Our backyard has also gotten a lot of use—picnics, relay races, lots of catch and cartwheels (kids, not me!). I do a lot of my evening Zoom meetings in my closet—it's my secret hiding spot.

Describe your at-home quarantine uniform.

I keep reading about people who wake up every day and put on make up and real clothes. I'm pretty much the opposite. Either exercise clothes or sweats from Nili Lotan, The Great and Vuori. Jeans feel aspirational right now.

Who are you quarantining with? Do you feel the need to “get away”? How do you make it happen?

I’m quarantining with my husband, 8-year old twins, and our Labradoodle puppy, Frankenstein. I honestly don't feel the need to 'get away'. Maybe it sounds cliche, but I am really grateful for this extra time with my family. Of course we have our moments, but overall it's actually been a pretty special experience. Every once in a while, my neighborhood girlfriends and I meet on someone's front lawn for cocktails. It feels like a mini girls' getaway.

What’s the last thing you purchased online? Regret or obsessed?

I purchased a dollhouse kit from Meri Cherry. We work on it a little bit every day—definitely obsessed! I also bought chocolate care packages from AndSons for my parents and my in-laws. I know this is especially hard on grandparents, so was hoping to brighten their days with a beautiful indulgence. I think they are all pretty obsessed.

Tell us the best shows, podcasts, or books you’re loving right now.

Lego Masters has been so much fun to watch as a family. It's also re-inspired my kids' love of LEGOs. I've just started reading Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari. We watched Tiger King of course, and Unorthodox was so good! I'm a very loyal Real Housewives fan, but I feel like yelling at the TV every time the ladies get close to one another or share food.

Do you have any new quarantine activities or rituals?

Shabbat dinner every week on Zoom with our whole family. Pre-quarantine Fridays were super hectic, and I am loving this new weekly ritual. I make a challah every week with the kids. Our braids are getting pretty good! My husband and I are taking Italian lessons, so we look forward to our weekly Zooms with our professoressa, Silvia. Lots of neighborhood walks with our pup and lots of bike rides. Last weekend we camped out in our backyard.

What is your favorite quarantine snack? What restaurants are you ordering takeout from?

Our favorite snack is probably the granola from Rockenwagner. We order dinner boxes from All Time. Everything in the box is perfection—they even include fresh flowers. And the owners are doing incredible things for the community. Uncle Paulie's Deli for an Italian hoagie, some groceries and toilet paper! And our go-to neighborhood spot, Angelini Alimentari. I've been doing almost all of the cooking, but when we do order takeout, it feels good to support our favorite local places.

What is the one item you’re glad you stocked up on? What do you wish you’d stocked up on?

I’m very happy about our white wine and tequila stash—although we did grossly underestimate in the beginning. We've smartened up and now are very well-stocked. I really wish I had purchased Clorox and Lysol. We typically only use the less harsh organic stuff, but not super effective during a pandemic. I've been bartering with my neighborhood pals when we run out of stuff, so we are in pretty good shape.

What is your creative outlet and how are you making space for it?

I love cooking, but pre-quarantine, I rarely had time for it. Being at home gives me tons of time to try new recipes—especially with the produce I'm getting from my weekly farm boxes. I finally made Alison Roman's famous stew. After I gathered all of the ingredients, I realized I didn't have coconut milk. Thankfully, my friend had an extra can and she left it on her front porch for me. We also baked a 6-layer rainbow cake with sprinkles inside. That was super fun! And I’ve been doing a ton of crafting with the kids. Yesterday I spent 45 minutes making a mini refrigerator out of felt for our dollhouse.

Describe your biggest quarantine indulgence.

Happy hour with my husband at 5 pm SHARP every day. And after the kids go to sleep, dessert while playing online Mahj Jong.

How are you maintaining some kind of schedule for your kids?

My kids' teachers have been really amazing, so their school schedule has been super helpful. Each night, I write our daily schedule on a white board at the breakfast table, so the kids know what the day will look like. I try to keep things fairly routine and consistent—for all of our sanity! We try to make the weekdays and weekends distinct so the days don't just all run together. They are on screens a lot right now, so we try to balance it with outdoor time and analog activities. But let's be real—they are playing a lot of Nintendo. It's the most reliable babysitter when I'm in a staff meeting or on a phone call with a parent.

What are you doing for exercise?

I try to run every day. I'm really enjoying the Peloton outdoor runs and Nike Run Club. I'm also doing digital classes from Barry's Bootcamp and LEKfit. My sister (who lives in Seattle) and I took a Barry's class together yesterday. We felt like we were really working out together!

What’s been the biggest challenge for you throughout this?

At the end of March, I was supposed to go to London to celebrate my grandmother's 99th birthday. Missing that huge milestone was really tough for me. I also have two grandparents in Chicago. Not knowing when I will be able to see them is hard, especially because they don't have the capability to Zoom or FaceTime.

When this is over I cannot wait to...

Visit my family in Philadelphia, Seattle, and London, and walk to The Larchmont Farmers Market. Also can't wait to get my hair colored with Adara at Mare.