Pandemic Motherhood Getting You Down? It's Not Just You.

Dad worked such long hours
“Dad worked such long hours... how did you do it alone for so long?”

Mum tilted her head and thought a while.

“We had an excursion each day. We did the groceries or met someone at a park, went to playgroup and swimming. And we had excellent neighbours.”

I thought of the weeks and months we’ve spent staying home. The parks we visit early before the crowds. Play dates postponed for the slightest of sniffles. The groceries done by click and collect because babies don’t wear masks. The mothers’ group that went online. The swimming lessons that stopped and never restarted. The times my kid wanted to play with the nurse’s kids next door and I said “no” because I didn’t want us to be the ones to pass germs into the hospital or bring them back into our bubble...

I felt sad, not for my little one, but for me, and thought about how this whole ‘motherhood’ thing wasn’t how I imagined it would be.

The full force of the beauty and hurt of the last two years hit me all at once, and I forgave myself for the frustration and the tears and the afternoon screen time just to get seven seconds of peace. And while these small slights and sacrifices pale into insignificance alongside the suffering of others... I hoped that one day, just maybe, this might get easier.

0 comments

There are no comments yet. Be the first one to leave a comment!