Adria Gray

Quarantine Mom Talks

Having children during a Quarantine is hard. When you think about mom's you think: Love, Understanding, Someone who cooks, cleans and keeps everyone happy. But you rarely see how she really feels. When you is trying to juggle homeschool work along side of school work for the virtual homebound child. She is struggling to keep her cool because her children are falling apart and crying. She wants so badly to take all the stress and struggle off of their little shoulders and do it for them. But she can't because they have to learn it and soak it all in. She guides them the best she can in teaching them what they need to know for that lesson or that project. She gives them the confidence they need, even though she is struggling to keep it together. She feel's like there is non-stop cleaning to do everyday. She wants to just take a moment to herself but she knows if she does she will be behind on cleaning. She is struggling to keep herself together because she has to help everyone else. Once dinner comes along and she now has to get that going, she is struggling to find the energy to figure out her dinner plan for the night. Even when she had a plan for dinner set up the night before, now it just seems like too big of a task. But she pulls herself together and gets dinner going for her husband and children. When her husband gets home from work, he is tired from the day. She tells him to go do what he needs to relax, even though she is thinking in the back of her head how she wants a moment to relax. Dinner is ready and now it is time for them to eat, but mom doesn't sit down to eat until everyone has plates and drinks. Once she gets that moment, then comes the kids who have devoured their food asking question after question. She calmly answers those questions, even if her food is getting cold. She has one child who is still in the midst of getting the hang of using the bathroom. So when that child needs to go mom is to the rescue to make sure they are doing fine in there. After dinner plates are cleared from the table and the kitchen is cleaned from cooking and eating. Here comes the baths/showers and bedtime routine. At this point mom is just ready to lay down and is exhausted from the day, but she finishes out bedtime routines and tucking the little one's into bed. When she finally lays down to relax before closing her eyes, here comes a child scared to go to sleep. Mom picks up the child and reassures them that there is nothing to be afraid of in the house. Mom will tuck the child in, sit on the side of the bed and rub their back until they fall asleep. At this point it is almost midnight and there is no way she will get all the sleep she needs for the next day. But she lays down in bed, prays for her children to have restful sleep and her husband to have a safe day at work the next morning and then she closes her eyes. This is a life of a mother who during this Quarantine has had to adjust her whole life to 3 or more children being home with her having school that has to be done. It is a tough job for her right now. All she will need is your love and understanding. She wants to feel appreciated and know she is doing a good job. Sometimes just hearing those words will make all her hard work seem worth it. Seeing her children smiling and knowing they are loved also gives her the boost she needs. Be kind to everyone especially moms because right now more than anything, they are struggling.