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WEEK 3
Wow three weeks have passed, and I can't believe it for two reasons- #1 it went by quickly, and #2 my family didn't kill each other! We aren't exactly the Brady Bunch.
My family of three + pets usually enjoys outings in fresh air, museum hopping, seeing the latest shows, or entertaining friends. We were living the California dream. Life was busy, and we were juggling it all. The one downfall was that there was never enough time to fulfill everything on our to do list!
My son is nine years old, so for the last couple of years he has lived his life pretty much independently at school, extracurricular activities, and playdates. Kids five and up want their independence, and that need only increases every year. So we're past the "Mommy and Me" stage, but thanks to Covid-19 we're joined at the hip again! At times I feel like the mother of a young child not having a minute free.
I was afraid my kid would give me a hard time about losing everything in his life: school, friends, activities, his first communion, and camp, but he understands the importance of self-isolating, and quarantining. I explained it to him once, and he got it. He does get frustrated at times, but he admits he would rather be safe than sorry, and at times he says adults worry too much about Covid.
I can only imagine how challenging this time must be for parents of children too young to know the meaning of Covid, or the high stakes of sanitizing everything when toddlers and preschoolers tend to explore, touch, and put everything in their mouths! I sympathize for parents of teenagers that think they're invincible, and want to hang out with their friends, rebel and take risks. I am sometimes thankful that my child is old enough to comprehend what is happening, and still prone to listen to my advice.
My husband started working from home two weeks ago. He took over my son's room replacing his flat screen and DVD player with computer monitors from his office. A cute kid's room now resembles a weird start-up office.
Day by day my husband continues to expand his office in our home taking over the dining room table, and balcony. This makes giving our son a time out impossible. His conference calls also include our son's meltdowns. A private family conversation was overheard by one of my husband's colleagues. Sometimes he talks to co-workers with our dog barking in the background, or our parakeets chirping, the constant rumbling of the neighborhood garbage truck, or leaf blowers. We live in a tiny townhome (1,000 square feet). Escaping for a walk can even be stressful in our densely populated community filled with dog walkers and Olympic runners sometimes oblivious to the idea of social distancing.
Homeschooling Is Our Salvation...
I find myself cooking and cleaning non-stop and preparing gourmet meals three times a day for my hungry husband and kid. I homeschool my son three hours a day so I really have no time at all for myself, but homeschooling is our light in the dark. It is when we truly forget about Covid-19, and we learn U.S. and world history, science, and art. We find inspiration in the stories of Native Americans and the early settlers. The abolitionists and the suffragists.
Discovering Spring & Being Creative Keeps Us Going...
We go for nature walks outside of our community where the streets are wide and vacant. We create art at home. We cook meals together, and watch movies at night in homemade forts.
The Art of Doing Nothing...
Instead of running we are staying still. We are making the most of the situation, and hence teaching our child a valuable lesson. Family, and health are everything, and while we do argue with each other at least once a day, we are given the sobering reminder every night when we watch the news of this deadly virus. We not only practice gratitude these days we live it. There is no other way. So as we approach the one month mark of being quarantined, I look to it bravely, realistically, and most of all with honor, because survival is all we have in this very moment, and time is truly a gift!
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