So it’s been almost a year and a half since it all started.. Yesterday, I was talking to a friend about the adverse effects the whole COVID situation had had on our kids and ourselves. She told me, sadly, how her eleven-year-old son is getting out of shape and has put on extra weight since the pandemic outbreak. Her kids generally now prefer staying home to going out and would refrain from engaging in any physical activity outdoors. I pondered thoughtfully at her remarks… then I realized that the repercussions were far more than just that. In my opinion, there were some positive points to the situation (Pandemic, Quarantine, Lockdown,..) so it’s not all negative. I will not talk here about the COVID-19 pandemic itself, but rather the situation we found ourselves in as a result of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let me start with the bright side from my point of view. Lockdown for me was a time to sit myself down and try to resolve some personal issues and inner conflicts deep down. The fast pace of life often makes us easily forget about the old, inner wounds that need time to heal. That is on a personal level. On the level of married couples, too, I found the same to be true. Being stuck together at home, having to face life together and being forced to solve our issues on our own created a stronger bond within many marriages. The fact that there is no escape, it’s just both of you on your own, has definitely improved the quality of many relationships, as spouses became creative finding ways to solve their problems (not all of them of\u00a0course). Post Pandemic is also a time when all members of the household had, at some point, been given chores to do, including little ones. During lockdown, we all co-operated with the cleaning and I allotted my two older children tasks that were appropriate to their ages (although that was such a short-lived experience). Speaking of children, they started creating new games and learning to entertain themselves at home since this is all they had. When I would limit their screen time, they would start thinking of new and crazy play ideas.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The downside of staying home for some time, fearing a new and unknown virus, is multifaceted. Gaining excess weight has been a common symptom\u00a0among many people. Since most of us turned to food as a source of comfort, and sometimes even to battle boredom, with little to no mobility, our fitness and wellbeing became at stake. I believe many of us have quickly developed unhealthy eating habits since the start of Corona. As a result of not going out for sometime, laziness has become commonplace and many are reluctant to go back to work again let alone do any physical activity. Less social interaction contributed to an inclination in children towards being introverted, especially toddlers who have literally spent half of their lives at home! Some of my friend’s kids now prefer not to go out if they can and my youngest is afraid when approached by strangers despite his friendly nature with us at home. Also, a\u00a0\u00a0negative I despise the most is the loosened limits on screen time for both adults and children\u00a0alike; since we had little else to do, we spent a considerable amount of time watching screens. Not only does this affect eyesight and brain functions but it also creates a bad habit that can be hard to wean ourselves from.\u00a0 Another thing I hated that happened in my family is that I suddenly found myself in a position where I’m expected to be available all the time I am awake for my husband and kids. I rarely had time alone, unless I sacrificed a couple of precious hours from my sleep and stayed up late. The ramifications of this I am still dealing with right now, unfortunately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is an aspect of the COVID situation towards which I have ambivalent feelings, and that is: Education. Children’s schooling took a different form after schools were shut down and we found ourselves attending classes online. The normal, direct contact between teacher and student was completely missing and to many students, including my affectionate middle child, this was a disaster. For one, I am thankful education continued at home without going to school, but was this the best possible solution? I doubt it. Where I live schools have been shut down since March 2020 up till now. The online learning experience has been both a blessing and a nuisance all at the same time. It was quite overwhelming for me\u00a0having to see my two children attending all their classes for school in the morning, then Qur’an classes in the evening, then sitting down to study with them afterwards. My 6-year-old was too dependent on me and I couldn’t stop thinking of the boosted confidence and independence\u00a0he would have gained had he gone to school. Sometimes he would even pause for a moment before unmuting himself to answer a question in hopes of me helping him with the answer. In addition, having to create a learning space for the kids within the home has been difficult for most of us since our apartments aren’t that big. Not only was limited space an issue, but also the other household noises of baby crying, noises of washing machine, dryer and vacuum cleaner, were all chaotic distractions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Altogether, it has been – and still is – a\u00a0 tough, trying time for most\u00a0of us, with so many uncertainties floating in the air. However, sometimes I have felt the corona to be a blessing in disguise, although I’m well aware of the\u00a0 various losses it has caused\u00a0many people. Alhamdulilah I wasn’t negatively affected, yet my children suffered the consequences of not going out frequently and not going to school for a whole academic year. Education has obviously suffered, too, and I am seriously worried whether next academic year will be better when they actually\u00a0go back to school. I believe it is\u00a0 a common worry among most parents whether the whole situation would affect their kids’ well being in the\u00a0future. All in all, I am grateful none of my family members fell sick and that we have the basics in spite of everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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