“When a mother says she needs help, that’s exactly what she meant. She is not saying she is incapable.”
Dear Society: We Need To Stop Passing So Much Judgement Onto Mothers
‘To the woman who cannot afford to stock up on essentials for her baby right now, you are still a good mother.’: Woman pens note to mothers struggling through coronavirus pandemic
“To the woman who has to wait until pay day to pick up six bottles of hand sanitizer. To the woman who is full of fear for her children’s school being cancelled because there is no Plan B for childcare. To the woman who is crippled with anxiety because she doesn’t have the mental capacity to homeschool right now, you are still a good mother. And a virus cannot (and will not) change that.”
‘I’m not sick. Why should I stay at home?’ As a mom of 4 in her second trimester, I plead with you, wash your hands. My husband doesn’t want to raise our family alone.’: Mom of 4 diagnosed with lupus begs people to stay home
“As someone who has battled lupus for the past 16 years and remains on numerous immune-suppressing medications, I urge you to stay home. We know what it feels like to get sick because of someone else’s lack of concern or ignorance. My husband doesn’t want to raise our family alone.”
‘We’re reminding children 57 times a day to wash their hands. We’re gathering lesson plans for a month. We’re on the front lines.’: Teacher reminds us ‘give the teachers in your life a little extra love’ during coronavirus outbreak
“In my 20-something years of teaching, this has been the hardest time of my career. We’re cleaning every surface of our classroom, desks, pencils, markers, light switches, and sinks 5 times a day. We’re learning new technology at a moment’s notice as our schools shut down and then turning around and teaching it to our students and their parents. We’re on the front lines.”
‘The text came at 12 p.m. ‘All schools will close at 2:30 p.m. for a minimum of 2 weeks.’ Autism doesn’t allow for change.’: Mom of autistic child says ‘covid-19 could change everything’
“Routine is something we thrive on in our house. It stays the same every day, down to what my little boy eats, the shape his sandwiches are cut into, and the song we sing at bedtime. Routine is the one thing he could control. With that one text message, everything changed for him.”
‘If you just bought that 8-pack of Clorox wipes, go home and clean. Then, take a container to an elderly neighbor, teacher, or nurse.’: Woman encourages precaution, kindness during coronavirus outbreak
“Hoarding it under the sink does nothing. And guess what? Cleaning turns panic into productivity.”
‘Quarter, momma!’ My husband was grilling when our son knocked on the glass door screaming.’: Mom warns of button batteries in household after 20-month-old battles for his life
“My husband jumped up, immediately opening the door. But just as fast as my husband acted, so did my son. He ran away, swallowing what appeared to be a nickel. In a split second, our night changed. He was crying, screaming, ‘Quarter, momma!’ He then begins to gag and vomit intermittently, telling me it has not passed through his throat. It has felt like a lifetime without his hugs, kisses, and hearing his sweet voice.”
‘An 80-year-old woman cracked her car window and explained, in tears, ‘We’re afraid to go in the store. We don’t have any family to help us.’: Woman urges ‘offer help to anyone you can’ during coronavirus hysteria
“I went to the grocery store this afternoon. As I was walking in, I heard a woman yell to me from her car. ‘We’re afraid to go in the store. We don’t have any family to help us.’ In tears, she handed me a $100 bill and a grocery list, and asked if I would be willing to buy her groceries.”
‘As they lay tucked in their beds, my mind is racing. I’m a 44-year-old widowed single mom and I’m as scared as a child.’: Widow fights to ‘keep it together’ for kids during coronavirus panic
“I’m trying not to f-ing panic. I’m trying not to worry about vigilant 20-second hand washing, the lack of canned beans I have in the pantry, and especially the fact I only have 5 rolls of TP left in thehouse. My husband—the level-headed, responsible person, who would know just when to panic—isn’t here anymore. I’m the only one left.”
Pandemic Hoarding Crisis Leaves 92-Year-Old Man Searching For Toilet Paper In Tears
“Today I cried. Not because I’m stressed out or scared. I cried because of a 92-year-old man. Forget about politics. Forget about the media. Forget about the 75 rolls of toilet paper you think you need. Think about the 92-year-old man.”
‘I’m so sorry for every time I’ve muttered, ‘I’m not worried. It only affects the elderly and immunocompromised.’: Woman pens public apology in the midst of coronavirus panic
“Will I panic? No. But I’ll wash my hands. I’ll limit my running around town. And I’ll leave you some toilet paper on the shelf. If it affects you, Humankind, it affects me. I’m sorry for making myself bigger than you.”
‘It bothers people that I’m confident. When I started casually dating after he passed away, people were not okay with that.’: Confident widow encourages others to ‘throw out expectations of self-pity’
“Recently, my daughter has experienced bullying at school. The people who have been unkind to her likely have no idea what we’ve been through the last 2 years. They just see a target and go after her relentlessly. This body has carried me through hell and back.”
‘I have called on my grandmother to remind her to get stuff now and not later. Now is a time be a COMMUNITY. The community can’t prep with soap, diapers, and TP if a select few people take months’ worth.’: Mom says ‘do not fret about coronavirus, there are better days ahead’
“Kids are not going back to school like they did for fall break. If we rewind to November, none of this was remotely close to being on our radars. Isn’t it crazy how it all changes in the blink of an eye? Just as we plan for the flu yearly, we should prepare for Coronoavirus in the same manner. This does not mean doomsday prepping. Prepping is a community affair.”
‘I cancelled our baby shower. Suitcases out, cookies, decor and appetizers ordered.’: Mom to be cancels baby shower due to coronavirus ‘staying home is the most loving thing we can do at this time’
“We were gearing up for an unforgettable weekend. Being pregnant with our miracle rainbow baby boy, gathering together with those we love most is extra special at this time. But we cancelled it. The risks far outweighed the reward.”
‘All I wanted was a rotisserie at Costco. Instead, I almost lost a limb.’: Mom says to remember during coronavirus ‘we’re all in this together’
“I passed by people wearing gloves, and masks, and yes, hazmat suits. I am a former nurse. I also rely heavily on world leaders in situations such as these. If they say wash and keep social distancing, I follow suit. But there was something about the empty aisles, wiped clean of paper products and water bottles, that caused a tide of panic to rise in me. I checked out of Costco, and reality, and found myself aimlessly scrolling for solutions from the front seat of my car.”
Mom’s Plea To ‘Show Kindness’ During COVID-19 Pandemic
“School is canceled, our spring break trip isn’t happening, and even sports are on hold. Let’s face it. I’m looking at a lot of time at home with these five kids.”
‘This is not the time to let it become the Wild West at your house. Your kids need to feel safe.’: Mom explains how to prepare for extended school closings, ‘This will be hard, but we can do it’
“We are in uncharted territory now. I’m almost certain we will remember this time – and how we came together, or didn’t – decades from now.”
‘I was beelining it right to the water and toilet paper aisles, only to find nothing left. The anxiety kicked in.’: In the midst of Coronavirus panic, mom ‘thinks outside the box’
“Today was the first day I felt the anxiety from the COVID-19 virus. I thought to myself, ‘What can I use in replacement of toilet paper?’ I have no shame in my game! A clean tush is a clean tush, regardless of how it got that way!”
COVID-19 Is Coming, Here’s How You Can Prevent The Spread
“You have a chance to make a difference and stop the spread in your country.”
‘What’s wrong with her?’ Comments now change to, ‘How cute, her doll looks just like her!’: Woman creates special needs dolls, ‘Our differences make us beautiful’
“Adults will say, ‘Having a doll that looked like me could have been a game-changer,’ or ‘I struggled my whole life with how I looked.’ Those little faces light up when they realize the doll they are holding is THEM!”
‘Girl, DO NOT SEND A PICTURE OF YOUR BODY PARTS TO HIM! He is a 12-year-old boy who does not know what love is.’: Woman’s plea for virtual safety, ‘You’ve got so much up ahead’
“He is a liar if he tells you all the girls are doing it or promises he won’t show it to your friends. Know your self-worth. You are more than a picture that could be tossed around on social media.”
‘Maybe her shorts are too short, her jeans too tight. Maybe you think her dress is too revealing. What you don’t see is a woman falling apart.’: Woman urges ‘we are all just trying to do our best’
“You deem her unworthy before she even has the chance to speak for herself. She’s not a woman who finally found the courage to be who she is, dress how she wants, stand up for what she believes in. Trying not to let the coldness and cruelty of this world break her. Instead, she gets labeled. Simply because she just exists.”
‘I’m either a rockstar mom with lunches packed, clothes laid out, and baths by 7 p.m. or I’m in complete survival mode.’: Mom admits ‘every day is not a fairytale’
“Some days I’m totally present with my little man. I’ve grocery shopped WITH my toddler and not one fit was thrown. I’m caught up on housework and we wind down with bedtime stories. I feel confident. I think for a split second I have motherhood figured out. Then the next day comes, and I survive by the seat of my pants.”
‘Knee deep in trying to calm my son, a lady placed her hand on me and whispered in my ear. I could feel the tears coming.’: Mom of Autistic child says ‘if you see a child in a meltdown, don’t stare’
“You would do anything in your power to help your child. Even if that means lying on the floor in the middle of a shopping center with him. That can cause some funny looks. Some funny comments. This day was no different. She nodded, she smiled, and she walked off again. In that moment, I could feel the tears coming.”
‘I was pro-life, I was in church, and I hated abortion. Yet here I was, mind racing and silently ‘considering my options.’: Woman urges other pro-lifers ‘don’t demonize women for being scared’
“The moment I was told I was pregnant at 18, the thought of abortion crossed my mind as a solution. ‘Am I a horrible human?’ Things got real REAL quick. Just because I didn’t have one, doesn’t give me a pass to be prideful about it over those who have. I love my sweet son, but he isn’t a trophy.”