The coronavirus came to change the world as we knew it, turning our lives upside down, completely transforming our routine and lifestyle. The impact it has had on each family has been a very strong one and will undoubtedly change us all.
So taking advantage of the fact that today is the International Day of Families, I share a reflection about how the pandemic is changing us: from the challenges it has brought, to the positive and the issues it has put on the table.
Hard times for everyone
There is no doubt that confinement has made things difficult for all of us. Not only must we avoid going out and continue with our lives as we used to, now we must also assume other roles that we did not have and we have moved many activities into our home .
In the case of those of us who have children of preschool and elementary age, we have found ourselves becoming the teachers of our children, trying to teach them topics and lessons, without having any prior knowledge or preparation of how we should educate children at home .
Similarly, work has moved into our homes , causing thousands of fathers and mothers who worked outside the home to adapt to working remotely. And of course, although some of us have teleworked before or are self-employed, now that we add the lessons of our children, everything is complicated.
To all this, add the usual tasks: cooking, washing, cleaning, organizing, while we wait with many fears and doubts , hoping that all this will end soon and we can start a new normal little by little.
They are challenges that we did not expect and that have put us to the test since day one , making many of us show our strong side in front of our children, waiting for the moment when they sleep so we can vent or talk about it and thus avoid worrying them too much. And of course, leaving us exhausted.
More united than ever
But also, although in principle it may be difficult to see, the quarantine has brought us many positive things, because despite the social distance, we are more united than ever and learning and understanding many lessons that perhaps we had not noticed before.
On the one hand, the situation has brought out the best in us: hope, strength, resilience, understanding, empathy . We families find ourselves locked in our homes, working together as we go through this complicated stage.
Millions of people are strengthening their family and friendship ties, resorting to creative training to do so: video calls, songs, videos with positive messages, virtual hugs, decoration on the balconies, small details that feed the soul.
Fathers, mothers and children are gathered at home, spending time together, supporting each other, learning from each other, discovering each other and getting to know each other better. Millions of parents doing their best to have fun and make confinement more bearable, so that tomorrow this will be a good memory for their children .
Conciliation: our great pending issue
Of course, a situation as extreme and particular as this has also brought to light many issues and problems , some that have been dragging on for a long time, but now they have finally been put on the table, in full view of all.
One of them, and the one that most concerns thousands of mothers and fathers, is the issue of conciliation . If before it was difficult, now that we are at home doing everything, finding a balance is practically impossible. For many families, it is simply not within their means to be parents and teachers.
In addition, there is also the issue of a return to normality. For parents to start returning to their offices, they need support to care for their children while schools are closed , and although many families have turned to grandparents, this time, this is not something very possible.
What will happen then? What will be the measures that will need to be taken to guarantee the physical, economic and social well-being of the families? There is undoubtedly a long way to go, but we hope that with this situation, the necessary adjustments will finally be made to bring us closer to a true conciliation .
Photos | iStock
In Babies and more | The mental burden of parents during quarantine: why we feel exhausted and what we can do to alleviate it, Illness, difficulties at work and in the relationship: the psychological problems that most concern families today, Mental and emotional health too It is important: seven keys to better cope with the family confinement
