The other day as I was perusing Facebook, I came across this video poking fun at moms on how they act towards their children during the Pandemic. It was about how we as moms were Pre-Pandemic and to now Post-Pandemic. As I watched and laughed to myself, I then had to admit, um yeah, that’s totally me!
First of all, let’s rewind back to this time last year, you know the good ol’ days when the only thing we had to fear was the stomach bug or Strep throat. When the morning you would wake up and realize, crap, I have to call into work today to take my kid to urgent care. Fast forward to 2020, when one sick day has turned into a 14-day quarantine for your noncompliant teenager, which we have already done, it was super fun!
Last year I would stress about making sure both my kids were up and ready for school with plenty of time to spare. I made sure they had a good breakfast, showered, and made it on time for the bus. Now I’m lucky that they get up 5 minutes before their Zoom call for 1st hour and not be just in their underwear.
I’m trying to adapt to the fact that now I go to work and my teenagers “work from home”. The totally weird concept that I am still trying to wrap my head around. What happened to the days when my day off from work, was a “me” day, the house to myself, again the good ol’ days! Now they are both home with me, texting me from their room to prepare them their 4th meal of the day. Shall we even get into the grocery bill? Virtual learning= nonstop eating all day!!
Last year, my second shift, as I used to refer to it, was my evening after work that consisted of shuttling my kids from practice to practice, as we know this no longer exists. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy having the free evenings and extra time! However, my kids now have taken loafing and Netflix watching to a whole new level! I hate to say it, but I miss sports!
I now constantly use phrases such as virtual learning, cohort, asymptomatic, quarantine, all that were non-existent in 2019. Also non-existent… searching the internet for the cutest masks for my 13-year-old daughter to wear to be fashionable?
But seriously, as I write this, I try to find the humor as we navigate this Pandemic with our kids. I try to focus on what my kids may have gained from all of this. Have they become more independent, more resilient? Do they enjoy the extra family time we have had over this past year? Do they now appreciate more what they have as many are struggling, my hope is yes! However, my reality is that I don’t really know. What I do know is that I am and we are doing the best to help them during this crazy time! Like they say, we are all in this together, right?
Either way… you got this, and hopefully lots of wine, cheers!
-Sarah Leece, Director of The Learning Experience South Lyon
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