An Empathy Post: Quarantine For Working Parents

 Dear Readers,

In this post, I am going to tell you my story of working and quarantine.  I tell my story so other parents out there know that (1) they are not alone, (2) you did nothing wrong, and (3) your kids did nothing wrong as well.

Be Strong.  Be Encouraged.  You. CAN. DO. IT.

Take care of your family the best you can- no apologies necessary.

I started the year in a new job at a new school hoping that the school could be a better fit for my two school age children in Covid.  I figured that working at the school my children attend would allow me time to watch over them and be part of their school experience during the pandemic.  

Well,  that was all good in theory until one of my kids got sick.

This may seem more obvious of a scenario to consider in Covid, but I was a virtual teacher for one year to make myself available at home.  Also, I stayed home pregnant with my other four kids for six months when the world shut down.

We didn't go many places, so for a year and a half- my kids never really got sick. 

More activities and experiences opened up for children over the summer which was perfect for me because I started a summer internship.  I enrolled my daughter and son in summer camps.  My other three boys continued to go to an home daycare.  By the time we got to the week before school, my son who has asthma started having a running nose and cough.  We started him back up on his inhaler more regularly for the first time in almost two years.

By his first day of school, he was in the nurse's office with a low grade fever.  With Covid symptoms of the fever, runny nose, and cough, my husband and I knew we had to get him tested.  So, we did, but we also had to quarantine all five kids until the test results came back.  It took seven days for the results to come back.  My husband had to miss work for four days and I took over on the weekend while he worked.  The next week, my kids were able to return to school because the test was negative, but by the end of that week my two youngest had gotten sick too.  

I missed a day of work.  Then,  I resigned as a teacher.

I only lasted a month as a teacher before I had to step down to a teacher assistant to make room for another quarantine/ sick children saga- if necessary. 

What most people didn't know about me- outside of  the dynamics of my family and my job- is that I was finishing a degree as well.  I was blessed with a scholarship this school year  to finish my EdS and continue onto my Doctorate degree.  Last Spring, I withdrew from an internship  because it was too much to balance virtually with my family obligations.  So, the 120 hour- internship was moved to the Fall and I was three classes left to finishing my first degree.  The heaviness of possible quarantine was enough for me to consider what was the best for my family and myself.  

With stepping down to a teacher assistant, I was afforded more freedom to care for my kids after school; fit in internship hours; and finish my degree.  For all those successes, I am thankful to  the Lord and His provisions.

However,  as Covid continues  to surprise us,  my husband and I have also decided to switch my daughter and son to private school.  They loved their school we had moved to, but it was farther from our home and my other children's daycare.  In addition, because of Covid, Ben and I are the only people who can care for our kids when they have symptoms so it helps to be close to his work too.

 To help pay for their new school, I had returned to work as a teacher.

It is my fifth day on the job and my personal kids are quarantined again. Since this is Ben and I's second all-in- quarantine-experience, we have definitely adjusted better, but it is still REALLY HARD.

He takes the morning shift starting at 6 am while I go to work.  I come home in the afternoon and take over so he can work until 8.  Next day- repeat.  At first, the baby was the only child sick, so we tried to keep him separate.  We thought he was well prematurely and let him play with his siblings.  His brother got sick within two days.  It was another wake up call that illness spreads. 

So, we have been keeping the healthy children separate from the sick ones for the last five days.  Which is hard on them- and tricky for us.   

We have been through it all- testing, finding tests, zoom family holidays, meals and groceries on the door step.

Home all day.

The uncertainty of it all is the most overwhelming part of it, but it is unavoidable as well.

Before Covid, I had sick kids.  In fact, the pediatrician had a talk with me about it when I told him I am returning to work.  He said- expect your child to be sick at least 6-9 times while they are age 1-3 and 3-4 times from 4 to school age.  It is truly a normal part of life for them and with the quarantine guidelines- we are all doing our best to keep afloat and keep sane.

I put my story out there so no one harbors shame with this season if you have experienced this like us.

Also, I post my story if you haven't experienced any of this- so you are less quick to judge.

The world is operating on a hustle right now and empathy is the root of kindness towards others. 

I hope my post can inspire empathy in us all.

You never know what people are going through.

But, God calls us to love through it all.

Thanks for reading!  And, have a good night!

Love, Always.

Crystal