We’ve all experienced resets in our lives, both bad and good—things like job loss, illnesses, divorce, deaths, trauma, and tragic events like 9-11, and also positive things like marriage, moves, babies, graduations, new jobs. This time, Corona keeps pushing a giant reset button over and over—sometimes several times a day. No gatherings over 150, wait, make that 10. School’s going online for two weeks. Make that a month. Make that the rest of the school year.
Uncertainty is one of the trademarks of this reset. The uncertainty of how long it will last, how many people we love will get this evil virus, if and when we will get it ourselves, and how our bodies will react. We’re all constantly monitoring ourselves for signs of sickness, trying not to become a hypochondriac every time our throat tickles.
Sure, we could panic, and hunker down in fear. But we’re moms—and we don’t have time for that. We have mouths to feed, budgets to tighten, bottoms to wipe, toddlers to entertain—plus we’re trying to channel our inner Little House on the Prairie as we manage our own one-room school houses and make cheese using the lining of a calf’s stomach. OK, not that last part, but we are having to dig deep into our pantries and use stuff we didn’t even remember we had. Hello SPAM.
In this episode I talk about several of the specific ways Covid-19 is resetting motherhood both temporarily and long-term.
Here are some of the resources I mention in this episode:
Articles:
“This Togetherness is Temporary” by Mary Laura Philpott
“Staying at Home With My Kids for Six Weeks: A Story About Boundaries.” By Celeste Davis
“Coronavirus Is Not a Motherhood Competition.” By Brooke Romney
Awesome video by the Heller family:
https://vimeo.com/404483016?fbclid=IwAR1C8ZodQJZbLoFfvp7sQa-nZA8B0InhK_h8gmtjE8AkRmFNoszSR_uuPS8
Podcast episodes:
“How To Be The Mom You Are (Instead of the Mom You Think You Should Be)” Episode 16 of the 3 in 30 Podcast
“Homeschool Moms: “You’ve Got this. Here’s What’s Most Important,” The Mom Hour Podcast
