I’ve Become ‘That’ Mom Because of COVID-19
Fear and Loathing of Viruses Real and Imagined
I’ve never wanted to be “that” mom. You know the one I’m talking about: over-protective, hyper-interested in every move my child is making, hovering at every turn. I used to hate mothers like that. “Let the children play,” I’d herald to whomever would listen. But life has a strange way of throwing curveballs one’s way. In my case, the unexpected curveball came in the form of a virus.
COVID-19, the vector that has caused pandemic of our lifetimes, has shifted our priorities and made us revisit what we think is important.
As a long-time advocate of “letting the children play,” preferably in a free-range manner, this latest turn of events has forced me to revisit my perspective.
Congregate in parks and street corners in every city, one will see multitudes of urban dwellers in their natural habitats. And age doesn’t seem to be a barrier. The younger set — ages eight through 12 are commonly seen strolling by, oblivious to the invisible threat that surrounds them.
So too are their parents. Apparently. For if they were aware and cognizant of the very real threat of the novel coronavirus, their kids would be locked up inside, sheltering in place as they had been told to do. Which makes it so very…
