FAMILY, FAMILY and more family!
Eat. Work. Play. REPEAT. Eat, Work, Play. REPEAT. Repeat every single day for the past 10 months. Just how have families coped with quarantining at home together? Sharing space and working from home; attending classes from home; eating every meal together from home...so much togetherness can certainly be a challenge but for many it has also been a great way to reconnect.
COVID has presented a bit of a reprieve from the daily hustle and bustle of everyday life. The best part for many, however, was rediscovering that they actually liked the people they called family!
“If I have to be stuck with anyone, I’m glad it’s with you” was a refrain I have said to my loved ones more than once.
It’s true that it hasn’t been easy – and for many it’s been downright hard – but gratitude was a sentiment shared by several people interviewed for this article.
For Kate and Kyle Valade of Cambridge, faith has been the cornerstone driving them forward when many are struggling through COVID and all its challenges. “While we have felt some effects, we are thankful that our kids know that our home is a safe place. In this tumultuous year, we have truly only found peace through our faith in God and have tried to use that to love others through this time,” says Kate.
The kids – Jackson 9, Claire 6, and Mark almost 2 – have explored new interests and that has helped their sanity, as well as her own as she works from the kitchen table. “We love doing art tutorials and that has been a really fun thing to do together with cousins over Zoom. We have also played Battleship online with many friends – something that never crossed our minds before 2020.”
Some things have been harder than others though.
“We have fluctuated between three kids who are loving all the extra time together building forts and playing, to three kids who have spent too much time together and now know all the buttons to push!” Even simple things, like the first day of school, was more of a transition than usual. With the youngest still being at home, it was a tangible reminder of how much has changed and the amount of time they have spent as a family together this year, she adds.
Carole Boudreau, a grade six math teacher in Moncton, New Brunswick, says that COVID has meant more involvement on both the work and home front. “We were able to connect more with our son Jack on a daily basis,” says Boudreau, whose partner Remi Belanger also works full time.
“Working from home meant we were able to be more involved with Jack – both in his schoolwork and personally,” she says adding that they make it a point to do activities together in addition to just spending the time together. Outdoor activities, playing games and going for long drives are some of the highlights they’ve shared as a family unit.
For those empty-nesters with grown kids with families of their own – and for the very young families – the entire social distancing rules have made get-togethers more challenging.
Kitchener couple, Kaleigh and Shaun Supersaud welcomed their second child – daughter Hadley to their family in March – just as the world was changing. Kaleigh spoke with us about the highs and lows of it all. At first, they focused on the positives, she says.
Shaun, a teacher with the Waterloo District School Board was going to be off for March Break and Kaleigh was excited at the thought of time spent as a new family of four and helping big brother, two-year-old Hudson, adjust.
“Then two weeks turned into a few months and eventually the remainder of the school year,” says Kaleigh, who is on maternity leave from her position as a support counsellor at W. Ross McDonald School in Brantford. “But I was still excited. Knowing we were all under one roof, safe and away from COVID-19 – it definitely eased my mind a bit.”
The Supersauds also took advantage of the family time and committed to making lots of memories with the kids – baking, cooking, dancing, playing in the backyard, going for walks and swimming. FaceTime helped them stay connected to their parents and other family members when lockdown was implemented, but some days were still hard.
“Luckily, our parents were able to meet and hold Hadley, but after lockdown we had to resort to social distance visits, which hurt,” says Kaleigh. When restrictions finally eased up a bit and they were able to visit, it helped.
“Our parents were in our social bubble come summertime and that made it easier for all of us again. We’ve made some great memories during the pandemic. It’s hasn’t been a typical year, but we’ve made the best of it.”