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On Christmas Eve, which also happens to be my birthday, I picked up the kids for a low-key celebration. Being Jewish in the midst of a global pandemic meant our plans were limited to visiting my elderly relatives, who are both immunocompromised. The bagel brunch they prepared for us was delightful—every moment spent together felt especially precious in these times.
After breakfast, we kept our festivities simple, conserving energy for the following day when we were set to join friends for a casual Christmas gathering filled with food and movies. This gathering was particularly meaningful, as the host was recovering from breast cancer and still immunocompromised. Throughout the pandemic, we had supported each other emotionally and practically.
However, around 3 PM, my ex-husband contacted me to share that he had developed a fever the night before. Thankfully, we hadn’t made it to our friends’ house yet. I swiftly informed them that we would need to cancel our visit, prioritizing safety over our plans.
By December 27, my ex-husband confirmed he had contracted COVID. This necessitated informing my aunt and uncle about our exposure, which weighed heavily on me. They took the news well, and we all began to quarantine together.
After three and a half days, we arranged for a drive-by PCR test. Fortunately, I had purchased at-home tests from Amazon in advance, which provided some reassurance about our health. My daughter, who showed no symptoms, tested negative, while my son, with a cough and sniffles, received a full panel of tests; he was negative for COVID but positive for rhinovirus. I was relieved—at least a cold was manageable. We kept my aunt and uncle updated, and they continued to test negative for COVID.
We decided to hunker down until the CDC’s recommended ten-day quarantine was complete, and on the eleventh day, we finally ventured out for BBQ at a local restaurant. However, the very next morning, my daughter began to complain of a sore throat, mirroring her brother’s earlier symptoms. Suspecting she might also be developing the rhinovirus, I opted to extend their quarantine for the remaining three days before they returned to their father.
The day before sending the kids back, I took them to a school-approved COVID testing site to ease the burden on my ex-husband. He had recently recovered from COVID but wasn’t back to full strength.
On the 14th day since the kids had last seen their father, we learned from the school district that my daughter had tested positive for COVID. Since they were heading back to their father’s house, we decided it was best to keep them there, as he had already contracted the virus. Also, they tended to co-sleep at my place, making it easier to keep them separated at his home.
Two days later, my son’s school-sanctioned COVID test also returned positive. It highlighted the fact that our family had avoided positive results for over eleven days—though I’m aware that my timing with the tests could have been better. This virus has shown itself to be unpredictable, often lying dormant before striking.
As of now, COVID has been present in our home for at least 16 days, with three of us infected, and I’m the only one who has managed to stay healthy so far. Thankfully, those affected are experiencing only mild symptoms.
Co-parenting during this pandemic certainly has its challenges, but having two homes provided a bit more space to navigate these obstacles. Both my ex-husband and I are fortunate to work from home, allowing us to adapt relatively easily—though things may change when the kids return to a week of virtual learning.
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Summary
This article recounts a family’s experience of co-parenting during the COVID pandemic, detailing their holiday plans, quarantine challenges, and the impact of the virus on their health. The story highlights the importance of communication and flexibility in navigating parenting during unprecedented times.