Pandemic Motherhood Diary, Entry 50: COVID, a Constant Memory

“Mommy, I don’t feel so good.” That was my four-year-old at the end of the fourth day of school. He had already gotten his first cold of the school year. A little over a week later, I found myself with a runny nose and sneezing. Another week passed by, and my six-year-old was sneezing too. It hadn’t been a month of school, and the germs were already racing through our house, tagging us one by one. As we took turns taking medicine, I overanalyzed our symptoms because COVID-19 is always in the back of my mind.

For some, the virus is a thing of the not-so-distant past. For others, it is a constant memory, and in many cases it is tied to grief. The current COVID-19 surge and any random cold symptom are enough to cause panic. Just recently, the South Texas school district temporarily canceled classes because of the spread of COVID-19. Although schools were only closed for two days, the spread was enough to provoke action. With no mandates in place and no obligation for employers and teachers to share the exposure to the virus, starting the school year with a COVID-19 surge feels like a rewind. And with my kids only getting older, and my husband and me getting busier, it is much harder to keep them away from the possibilities of catching anything. 

Research has shown that children average six to eight colds a year and about 12 infections. With groups of kids coming from different households, with different hygiene habits, and limited boundaries, it is no wonder why they are ill often. Because I have two kids, I have double the opportunity for exposure, which would make any parent paranoid.

So, what does protecting ourselves from the virus look like nowadays? In a post-pandemic existence, not many view the seriousness of the virus the same way. Between the villainization of medical professionals and scientists and more parents against vaccines, approaching the topic comes with more caution. Nowadays, you can return to work if you aren’t feverish and lacking any serious symptoms in five days or less. And children attend school with cold symptoms galore, and testing for the virus isn’t mandatory. This reality has made coexisting with the virus much harder.

This year is our youngest son’s first official year attending “big kids” school. To make the reality more special, parents were allowed to walk their kids to class on their first day. There I was, hand in hand with both of my kids, escorting them through a pool of parents, administrators, and kids down the hallways. I had already given myself a pep talk not to be emotional. Tears wouldn’t have encouraged my kids to be brave. I let them go one by one, both with a hug and a quick kiss before walking away. I saved my sighs and concerns for the car ride to work.

Three weeks into the school year, my kids have already had their first cold. As a parent, worrying comes naturally. We have dealt with COVID-19 twice now. Even one time would have been too many. The idea of the possibility frightens me but realistically, what can I do?

Melissa Menny is an author with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and a Masters degree in Criminal Justice. She is a poet and a writer in all aspects. When she is not working, she enjoys painting, music, and spending time with her husband and two sons. This is the most recent in a series of essays about raising young children in the COVID era. Read entry 49 here.