Coronavirus 2020
To say the Coronavirus has changed daily life is an understatement. We have been inside for two weeks, with all non-essential businesses closed. All the children’s classes are cancelled: Danny’s school, swimming, karate, guitar, rock climbing, gym class, horseback riding camp and baseball camp. All activities, like paint-your-own-pottery and rock n’ jump, are closed. All nature areas are closed. All playgrounds are closed.
Add 30 degree weather and a 1200 square-foot rental house, and you can imagine we’ve all come a bit undone. Yes, we are homeschooling… but this is not homeschooling like we’re used to!
Not homeschooling like we’re used to. We joined in a few online community activities such as a neighborhood bear hunt, zoom meetings, and a photography scavenger hunt, and took advantage of increased online opportunities, like watching a Broadway show and drawing along with Dav Pilkey.
Our children’s thoughts about Coronavirus:
Danny, age 5
Can you tell me about the Corona virus? The virus started at China and then it moved to America, I think. And then it moved to Canada.
What does it look like? I actually never saw a virus before. The train virus started at one little thing and it popped out it and it was bigger and longer than a train and the 2 trains defeated it and the blue one didn’t win so the coronavirus train just stayed there and the coronavirus train was destroyed.
How has the virus changed our life? It’s ruining all of outside. So it keeps on getting closer, closer, closer to all fun-ness and it’s almost at our house.
Will it ever get to our house? No. Because our house is safe. But if our garage door is open and the garage other door in front of our car is open then the coronavirus will get in. And if someone is walking towards it and it’s invisible then they will be sick and throwing up for two months.
Is there anything you don’t understand about the virus? I don’t understand how it got started. And I don’t understand why everyone is talking about it. And it’s coming closer to us.
Danny’s drawing of the virus.
Maria, age 8
The coronavirus changed our lives because we aren’t allowed outside, and everything shut down and we don’t have anywhere to go to expend our energy.
We tried to have fun inside. It’s kind of fun staying home all day and watching tv and playing. But the bad part is that we can’t go outside and play with our friends. This weekend we only went outside once or twice to get the mail or ride around the block, because no one is allowed outside. Daddy had to work from home. I still don’t get how his business is going on and the ice cream truck business can not go on. We haven’t been going to rock n jump and I couldn’t finish horseback riding camp. They shut down the [US/Canadian] border and now we can’t go to Nana’s and Poppy’s for Easter like we do every year. Another bad thing is that if you went around the block there’s a playground and it’s literally in jail. It’s all taped up and no one can play on it. It has the yellow tape all over it.
I don’t know when the coronavirus will stop, but I do think it will be over soon. THE END
Jack, age 9
The coronavirus is bad because we have to stay inside all day, but it’s good because we get to stay with Daddy.
We can’t go to the playground because it’s all taped up. And we can’t go to the skate park because we have to stay away from other people so the virus doesn’t spread.
Before the virus the stores were wack-a-doodle-do. Everybody was at every single store. The only thing different was there was a whole lot more people.
All of our camps, swimming, karate and gym classes were cancelled. Which is pretty much the only way to expend our energy. There’s nothing for us to do inside the house so we have to eat each other!!!
It’s fun having Daddy here because we get to see him almost every single day even at lunch time! And I think just because of the virus he got Fortnite so now we can play together! And it’s also sort of good that we’re inside the house because we get more screen time so I get higher tiers.
The corona virus is a making us stay inside, which is both fun and not fun.
Lots more screen time. It’s not unusual to see all three children holding an ipad and watching tv, too. Kids these days :)
The taped up playground had a big impact on all of the children.
We celebrated Mima’s 70th birthday by a joint FaceTime with all her grandchildren and Aunt Merced. It wasn’t the family party we hoped to have, but it was fun to see everyone all at once.
Jack, Maria and Danny, Dad and I have our own thoughts and reactions to the Cornonavirus, and someday when you’re older we can share those with you. For now, know you are safe and the virus will not come to our house. We WILL get to see our family and friends and go to fun places again SOON! While we’re inside, let’s keep on having fun and enjoying this extra time with Dad.
Update, April 30th:
Maria: “So far this is the worst spring ever.”
Danny: “When the border opens I want to meet my cousins and play.”
Jack: “What if the virus goes on and on and all the kids have to stay inside all day in the summer?”
