A Candid Perspective on the Pandemic, Through the Eyes of My 7-Year-Old

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After a year of navigating a global pandemic, our lives have been dramatically altered. We’ve experienced lockdowns, mask mandates, social distancing, testing, and vaccinations (at least for some of us). This past year has been filled with anxiety, frustration, confusion, and significant loss. Yet, here we are, one year later, trying to adapt to a new normal. But how normal is it really? Not very. However, it’s what we have to embrace to keep safe and, hopefully, survive. That’s the adult perspective. But what about the kids?

My seven-year-old son recently made a remark that caught my attention: “Remember when we thought this would all be over after just three weeks? We’ve even missed two St. Patrick’s Day parades! I wish adults would just follow the rules.”

Why aren’t adults following the guidelines? It’s a valid question. Why do some people still go out without masks, endangering others? Well, my dear, it’s often because adults can be selfish. They tend to think they know better just because they are older. But wisdom doesn’t automatically come with age; it’s gained through experience. Those who truly understand the gravity of this pandemic have faced pain and loss. They harbor a reasonable fear of the unknown, which drives them to take precautions to protect themselves and their loved ones.

Intrigued by his thoughts, I continued our conversation. I asked him about his school experience. “It’s horrible. I hate wearing masks! We have to wait forever to take them off. It’s so annoying. In the lunchroom, we have assigned spots for the whole week, and I can’t see my friends. We have these dividers, and we just want to break them, but we can’t.” Hearing him express a desire to break a divider to chat with friends tugged at my heart.

We kept talking. “I know I have to wear a mask because of the virus. You can get it when you sneeze, and those droplets can get into someone else’s mouth. I don’t want to get sick or make anyone else sick.” I was impressed by how much he understood for his age. “That’s also why we use so much sanitizer at school. Just in case we touch our faces when we take our masks off outside, or after touching lunch tables.”

I asked him how recess was different. “Well, we don’t play tag much anymore because we aren’t supposed to touch each other. But thankfully, we don’t have to wear our masks outside. I hate indoor recess because we can only play with our own box.” Each child had brought a plastic shoe box filled with individual activities for indoor recess. No playing cards together or building things with Play-doh—just solitary play. It broke my heart.

When he was distance learning, he liked one thing: he could attend class in a t-shirt and boxer briefs. Now, he’s back in uniform, but he’ll tell you any day that he prefers school over being at home. “I missed my friends. Talking on Google just isn’t the same. We couldn’t joke around, and it was hard to focus when people didn’t mute their microphones.” I watched him struggle to concentrate at the kitchen table and thought about all the parents juggling work and homeschooling. Many are still doing this every day, and I admire their strength.

“I’m glad people are getting vaccinated now. Maybe that will help this end sooner. I’m happy that Mom got her shot, so she doesn’t worry about getting sick,” he said. I felt lucky that our family has been vaccinated and can gather again without fear. Don’t get me wrong; I’m still wearing my mask, but I no longer worry about hugging my parents. The vaccine has brought us some relief.

“You know what I want to do when this is over? I just want to go to Target and not panic if I forget my mask in the car. Remember when that happened to Sophie?” His little sister wasn’t wearing a mask the other day, and we were walking around the store like everything was normal. Sure, she’s five and still young enough to get away with it, but then I suddenly noticed and shouted, “Oh no! You’re not wearing a mask!”

Her reaction? She panicked, crying and covering her mouth as if something terrible was about to happen. I quickly pulled one out of my purse and put it on her. I assured her that she was safe and not in trouble. Her big brown eyes filled with tears as she said, “Thank you.” But her fear stayed with me. She is so conditioned as a preschooler to protect herself from a deadly virus that she genuinely feels afraid. It hit me hard.

I hate this for my kids. It saddens me that a significant memory from their childhood will be years spent in masks. Yes, years. This situation isn’t ending anytime soon. Thankfully, it’s getting better every day, but I genuinely believe I’ll still be sending my children to school with masks next year. I try to make it more enjoyable by letting them pick out fun masks that reflect their personalities. But that excitement lasts about five minutes before it becomes just another burden. They endure this all day while I’m at home, free to do what I want. Kids are the real heroes. They’ve faced these challenges with resilience, and I’m so proud of all children navigating this situation.

What’s the way forward? We need to continue vaccinating, masking, and washing our hands. That’s how we return to whatever normal may look like. But as my sweet son put it, “I just hope this never happens again. I don’t want my kids to experience this. It sucks.” I couldn’t agree more, buddy.

This article was originally published on April 21, 2021.

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Summary:

In this heartfelt piece, a mother reflects on the pandemic through the eyes of her seven-year-old son, highlighting the challenges children face, from mask-wearing to social distancing at school. She expresses her sadness about the lasting impact of these experiences on their childhood while recognizing the resilience of kids. The piece emphasizes the importance of vaccinations and the hope for a return to normalcy, as well as the desire to prevent future generations from undergoing similar hardships.

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