By Kimberly Crossland, Owner of The Focus-Driven Biz
At the time of writing, stores are still struggling to keep up with demand, people are actively social distancing, and schools are closed. My hope is that you’re reading this article, rolling your eyes, and saying, “this is old news.” But it’s probably not.
One of the few silver linings of this whole situation was the announcement that Frozen 2 was released on Disney+ early. Our family enjoyed frsh popcorn on the couch while watching our favorite little snowman sing. During one scene, my husband and I started laughing at a song that satirized love songs from when we were kids. While we were cracking up at the inside joke, our child started giggling too, unaware of why we thought the situation was so comical.
In that moment, it occurred to me just how contagious emotions can be. Laughter is contagious, of course. But so are fear, anxiety, depression, doubt, and worry.
It seems every day there’s a new press conference announcing even more stringent measures to keep everyone safe. As we tune in, it’s hard not to let the surreal situation we’re living in permeate to our kids. Birthday parties are getting canceled. Weddings have been put on hold. Relatives in the same city have been communicating over FaceTime rather than face-to-face. It’s a strange world out there, and it’s forcing us to have even stranger conversations with our children and community.
Here’s what I know to be true during it all — people are good. More than good, actually. People are rallying together in ways I’ve never seen before. We’re brainstorming ways to support businesses while they’re forced to close their doors. We’re brainstorming ways to buy food for elderly neighbors who are at a much higher risk when going to the grocery store. We’re putting our head together to figure out how we can support one another in a time that feels very uncertain and unreal.
Parenting during this time is confusing. We try to protect our kids as much as ourselves from the reality of the situation, but they know something’s amiss. We’re having difficult conversations with kids about why they’re stuck at home seemingly overnight.
And maybe, while explaining what the coronavirus is and why we’re taking these precautions, we should sprinkle in a healthy dose of all the good that’s coming out of it. Maybe we should talk about humanity rather than focus only on the tragedy.
I don’t have the answers to how to navigate this. I don’t know what it looks like to be a good parent, friend, neighbor, or colleague during this time. You might not either. I don’t think anyone does. But from what I see, we’re all doing a pretty amazing job at stepping up, showing up, and spreading love to the extent we can.
Are you in a position where you’re being asked to work remotely? Go to TheFocusDrivenBiz.com to grab your free guide about how to structure work days from home while caring for two young kids. It’s not easy but it IS possible with certain strategies in place.
