Our lives used to be normal: adults worked while children attended school. Families went out to the parks, went to the market, traveled on weekends, visited grandparents, met with friends, and shared our days at our convenience.
And then a virus appeared, so strong and contagious, that it forced us to completely change our lives, forcing us to remain in a quarantine that we do not know for sure when it will end . Schools closed and adults who went to work were sent to do it from home.
Now, isolated to prevent the contagion of this pandemic called coronavirus, we find ourselves locked in our homes, while we try to balance everything: distance education for children, teleworking, maintenance and housework, recommended hygiene measures and everything else we must do to reduce the chances of contagion.
Needless to say, under these conditions, stress and anxiety have been present . And I do not say this only because of the tension and uncertainty that is experienced around the world with the headlines that we read daily when we wake up, but also, with everything that should be done at home, particularly in the case of those of us who have children.
For this reason, and because I have seen various testimonies from parents who after several days begin to feel overwhelmed, today I want to pause between so much news and advice on quarantine, to tell those who feel they cannot cope with everything in this quarantine , they are doing well .
This is no time to try to do it all
Perhaps my opinion is not the most accurate, but I will be clear and say directly what I think from the beginning: quarantine is not a time to try to do everything perfectly . Even, I do not even consider that we should try to comply with all of them.
We are living a time that is extremely difficult for everyone, and we as parents also have a very special task: to be well for our children . But if we are pressured to do everything, full of activities, stressed by the news, and generally overwhelmed by the situation, we will not be able to do it.
It is true, children need to continue with school duties (which in many cases are too many) and we must do our best to work from home. But waiting for us to do all that and much more, on top of it without being able to leave the house, can drive anyone crazy .
I know that there are those who feel that they are not doing things well, that at the moment they think that they do not have the capacity to fulfill what is expected and that they simply feel that they cannot do everything. And for them, for our children, for you, for me, for everyone, I want to tell them and remind them that they are doing well .
Because we take care of our children and watch over them at a critical time for humanity. Because every day we wake up and try to continue our life as normally as the situation allows us. Because we don’t give up. Because we fight. Because we don’t lose hope.
Nothing happens if one day the boys don’t do their homework. Nothing happens if one day the house is untidy. Nothing happens if they spend their days in their pajamas or if they are not in the mood to do anything. Let us free ourselves from unnecessary guilt and pressures that will only make us feel bad emotionally.
So please, if you feel like you can’t do it all, remember that your emotional health matters too, and don’t forget this: you’re doing the best you can with the tools and ability you have . And that means, you are doing well.
Photos | iStock
In Babies and more | 17 fathers and mothers tell us how they are coping with the quarantine with their children at home, Plan to cope with the confinement. Tip 8: Focus on positive things, The positive side of quarantine: valuing time with our children and other important lessons it leaves us
