Today marks the five-month anniversary since my children and I have been inside of a store and even longer since we have been in a restaurant. I joke that when I do go back into a retail store, the lights will be too bright for my eyes, the checkout lines too loud and I will end up a hermit with the highest-level Amazon membership. We had gone to Target March 12th for our usual run and I grabbed some toilet paper and soap because everyone was talking about this mysterious virus. The next day, my preschool was closed, our school district was closed and our community was on lockdown and the country was filled with question marks. We had no idea how long life would be like this or what it would look like when we were allowed to come and go freely again, or if it would only get worse.
Since that day, I have remained at home with the three kids. We have not had a play date with their friends, we bowed out of all sports, I heartbreakingly haven’t seen my best friends, and have only been around those outside of my household out of necessity at the dentist and doctor’s offices. My husband is an essential worker and has thankfully remained employed on his third shift. This means while he sleeps during the day, it is the mama show. Once he wakes up and heads to work, it is now act two of the mama show. I am the solo chef to all meals and the vending machine of all 50 daily snacks. I am the ultimate bath giver, the bed tucker-inner, the story reader, the nightmare calmer, the boo boo kisser, Barbie player, pretend restaurant patron reserving a table for one and more often than not, the WWF referee. I am the good cop turned bad cop at the drop of a hat. There are lots of us doing the 24-hour one woman show long before the pandemic, and there will be long after it is under control. The ones who can’t tag in the partner or practice their self-care. They are the Energizer bunny parents who keep going and going. Aren’t all mothers? There are the night shift partner mamas, single moms, military moms, opposite schedule moms, partners who are always traveling moms and loads of others types of mothers that run the show.
Here is my unpopular pandemic parenting opinion; I have enjoyed almost every day I have been gifted to be safe at home with them no matter how exhausted I feel and definitely look. You are allowed to enjoy this overwhelming time. I am abundantly grateful that we have the ability to order our groceries online and contactless pickup to keep us safe. In a time where millions upon millions, are unemployed, we have income. We have health benefits, we have entertainment, we have each other. I have worked since I was 15 years old only stopping for 8-12 weeks after welcoming a new baby. I’ve always ended jobs on a Friday and started the new one on Monday. Then suddenly, everything was cancelled. It is safe to say that without this pandemic, I would never have this type of time with the kids. Mothers often complain about not being able to sit when the kids are toddlers, which is true. But, as they get older, you are even busier. There are practices, games, after school activities, birthday parties, play dates, homework, school events and more that leave you running in all directions. We have done game nights, family movies, hikes, caught more fish than I can count, tried and failed at new recipes, created crafts, mailed letters and artwork, completed volunteer projects, utilized our swing set and added a trampoline to the backyard circus. My children could probably qualify for Tour de France after completing Lord knows how many miles on their bikes. It has been a treat to watch the three of them play together and their personalities, each so unique, shine through.
During the pandemic we have also had time to grieve the loss of my father and excitedly talk about the new baby’s arrival and who she might take after and what she may be like. We have a snail’s paced life and I am so happy to be at home with them. Sure, they need fed every 20 minutes and there is a constant river of Legos flowing through my house, but they won’t always be this small and beg to play with me. In a few years they will be busy again with friends and activities and this will all be an old memory for them; but I will always treasure this time when they fight to be on my Mario Kart team, or the endless string of “watch me” being yelled from the yard by three small voices. So even though we may be in the middle of an extended run of The Tired Mom Show, I can’t fathom another role that I am more perfect and thankful for. Although, I would love to try my hand at The Rested Mom Show. Some day.
Then Life Happened 