If you’re a parent of young kids, you’ve likely listened to a lot of Frozen, either in the background on the T.V. or the soundtrack in the car.
Frozen 2 is growing on me. It has a few really nice musical numbers.
I must have heard Into the Unknown a dozen times already and we only got the DVD a week ago.
If it wasn’t already playing on my brain on repeat, it certainly is now.
The last few days have been a whirlwind.
It feels so surreal. I feel like we’re living in an Apocalypse movie.
My husband deciding to stream such cheerful titles like Sean of the Dead and The Patriot this weekend didn’t help my mood much either.
It was a frightening weekend before the announcement was made of school and day care closures — which I had hoped would be a long-way off.
We had two sick kids, which were confirmed to be just a regular stomach flu. We were responsible, and kept them home at the first sign of illness.
That was stressful enough, with two puking kids with spiking fevers that kept coming and going, and trying to keep them hydrated, and cleaning and comforting them in the middle of the night.
Add into the mix the health advisory that came down late last week to not go to the hospital if you have flu symptoms, such as a fever.
We were advised by an 811 nurse (yes, I got through, at 5 a.m. one morning) to not take them to the hospital (despite the fact one had already been treated for severe dehydration before the edict was passed) unless their fevers reached 40 degrees Celsius, or of it was going on to the third or fourth day.
We could not find children’s Gravol or Tylenol in town. That is scary as a parent, when you’re trying your best to care for sick kids, and you’re getting conflicting medical information, and you can’t find medicine and feel like there is no help.
Also top that stress off with lack of sleep, and the looming question about what you’re going to do about childcare come Monday, as both you and your spouse have jobs to get to.
Things were already feeling like they were at a breaking point, and then the announcement comes that schools are closed.
I don’t necessarily disagree with the decision, it’s just difficult right now.
As I know it is for a lot of people, from those scrambling to find childcare, to those worried about protecting their vulnerable relatives, to those concerned for their job security in this uncertain time.
It’s just hard. And it’s okay to feel that way, and acknowledge it.
There’s a lot of unknowns, and things out of our control, and we just have to take it one day at a time.
While we do that, we can try to help each other out.
I’ve seen some posts online of people offering to help do shopping, or swap supplies if they have extra, and those are encouraging signs.
Some other helpful suggestions I’ve seen of how we can come together as a community include donating to the food bank if you are able, checking in on the seniors or other vulnerable people in your lives and ensure they have what they need, and looking out for your neighbours.
Even from a distance, there are ways we can lift up and encourage each other, and somehow wait this thing out.
Stay connected. Stay compassionate. Stay healthy.