How did we survive?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, during the lockdown my kids were in HS and had hard time not being able to socialize. I do consider us being lucky to have kids of that age. But I did keep thinking of parents with younger kids being locked up and had sympathy for those families. Or single moms with little kids. Or single dads. It must have been a rough time for you, folks.

I was fine, but my HS and college kids really got handed a raw deal.

I also resent the hell out of the prestigious private college my kid went to that charged us $30K/semester for a year and a half of online learning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have one kid who was three when COVID hit. I was 100% absolutely living my best life. I had to strategize, getting up early and staying up late to make sure work got done, but I filled my days with spending time with my kid. Some of my very favorite memories of her childhood are going to be March-June 2020.

I agree. It was one of the greatest times of my life. It was honestly one of my happiest moments.

[Anonymous]

God will never give you more than you can handle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - well thanks for the reality check. I do have empathy and sympathy for everyone during that time.

I didn't have PPD with my other two kids and I always wonder if I would have had it regardless of the pandemic or if it was related to the stress of both postpartum and the lockdown. But man it kicked my butt. I have never been so close to the edge before. I worry every day I will return to that sort of mental breakdown. And since it was lockdown there was nobody to talk to. I never saw my OBGYN, never got screened for PPD, had no follow up with any sort of doctor for a long time.

Lack of sleep is really overwhelming to your entire being. My eldest had a hospital stay around 6 months of age, and his sleep went to crap afterwards. Never slept more than 45 minutes straight. I thought I would go insane. Things improved when that got better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Then and now - my heart goes out to young families like yours and those with younger kids during the pandemic years. I don't think we yet understand the full societal impact. It was tough on many segments, but those with babies and young school-age kids had it the worst imo. As for my segment I'm happy to no longer be a fat "alcoholic" binging on bad TV for months on end - I'm ashamed actually at my pandemic self - we all need to be kind to ourselves and thankful it's over for now.

I had young school age kids. It was fine! My kids won’t look back on it as a bad time. In fact, it was the first time in their lives that DH didn’t travel. It as actually very nice for them. Young school aged kids are ok with their world being home and parents. I felt much worse for the older kids.

[Anonymous]

Pandemic was not that bad if one was UMC in the USA , at least form what I saw around us. I was thinking the other day that if we get hit with another respiratory virus pandemic that is deadlier we are really screwed because everyone now is a Monday morning QB and thinks that any sort of restrictions or lock-downs are governmental overreach.

[Anonymous]

Amazed that people can claim to know about what happened in everyone else's life. It's not something I see in any other context outside of parents talking about pandemic experiences.

[Anonymous]

Recent death in the family?
PEOPLE IN WAR ZONES HAVE IT WORSE.

Beaten by your spouse?
PEOPLE IN WAR ZONES HAVE IT WORSE.

Suffer a racist attack?
PEOPLE IN WAR ZONES HAVE IT WORSE.

QUIT YOUR COMPLAINING ABOUT EVERYTHING BECAUSE BABIES ARE DYING SOMEWHERE.

[Anonymous]

It was hard on SO many people. I actually wish I had kids your age, i felt it would have been so much easier to keep them entertained and educated at their level. Mine were 5th and 7th grade and they still have holes in their education, they suffered from lack of socialization and one gained a ton of weight from sitting so much, then they got depressed, which is scary as a parent. My spouse and one of my parents were first responders so I was constantly terrified that they would die, I wish they had a work from home job. I lost my job and was unemployed for 6 months and it was hard on our finances.

We all need to let this go. Nobody had it good, but like a pp said, we weren’t in a war torn country.

Time to move on. And if you can’t, you need to get some therapy or meds. Dwelling on what happened won’t be good for you or your family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It was hard on SO many people. I actually wish I had kids your age, i felt it would have been so much easier to keep them entertained and educated at their level. Mine were 5th and 7th grade and they still have holes in their education, they suffered from lack of socialization and one gained a ton of weight from sitting so much, then they got depressed, which is scary as a parent. My spouse and one of my parents were first responders so I was constantly terrified that they would die, I wish they had a work from home job. I lost my job and was unemployed for 6 months and it was hard on our finances.

We all need to let this go. Nobody had it good, but like a pp said, we weren’t in a war torn country.

Time to move on. And if you can’t, you need to get some therapy or meds. Dwelling on what happened won’t be good for you or your family.

WAR TORN COUNTRIES HAD IT WORSE! SHUT UP ABOUT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED TO YOU A FEW YEARS AGO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Recent death in the family?
PEOPLE IN WAR ZONES HAVE IT WORSE.

Beaten by your spouse?
PEOPLE IN WAR ZONES HAVE IT WORSE.

Suffer a racist attack?
PEOPLE IN WAR ZONES HAVE IT WORSE.

QUIT YOUR COMPLAINING ABOUT EVERYTHING BECAUSE BABIES ARE DYING SOMEWHERE.

Those are some complicated pain suffering games you have going on in your brain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t have any child-free friends who were “living their best lives” during the pandemic. Mine were:

Scared to start trying for kids
Worried about their parents
Bored and lonely because they were isolating
In residency and wearing PPE all day and worried they were going to get COVID/give COVID to their partner

Thank you. I'm child free and while I did not the same stress as parents, I was certainly not living my best life. I became very depressed because of the isolation.

[Anonymous]

OP, you had PPD and a newborn.

Anytime in the history of the world would have been tough for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have been thinking back to the beginning of the pandemic/shut downs and I wonder how I mentally survived it. When shutdown happened I had a newborn, 3 year old and 5 year old. Plus a husband who wasn't used to working from home, working 60-80 hours a week. My PPD spiraled out of control during March-April and I sincerely don't know how I managed to keep my newborn alive during that time. I was sleeping in 45 minute increments at night and up all day with my toddler/5 year old. Only saving grace was I that I didn't have to work since I was on maternity leave.

Now thinking back on it I am surprised that my family even managed to come out of that time unscathed. I think about all my friends who had older children or child free friends who were "living their best lives" and sometimes get sooo angry. I know it was all situational but god it was such a hard period of time for those of us with young kids. I also feel for parents who had older children who missed major life milestones like prom and graduation or pivotal years in college.

Yes it was hard.
However it did not have to be as hard.

God help us if another virus attacks bec the moron antivax are going to get many more killed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:God will never give you more than you can handle.

Absolutely delusional.