“I posted all the funny memes. We went on saying it ‘wouldn’t happen to us here.’ My husband and I rolled our eyes and made jokes. As the days unfolded, it kept getting a little closer to home.”
‘I remember saying, ‘People are being so out of control, this will be over next week.’ Now, I live in the epicenter.’: Mom urges ‘stay home’ during panic, ‘It could mean your grandpa living to see your kid’s next birthday’
‘I was sick, and in survival mode. Holland was screaming, ‘DO IT AGAIN DO IT AGAIN!’ Then, I heard thumpthumpTHUD KURPLUNK!!’: Mom says to remember ‘we have to count to ten’
“I came around the hallway just in time to see my 6-year-old son sledding down the stairs with a maniacal grin, in a freaking laundry basket. It wasn’t 9 a.m. and I already burst into tears.”
‘My child started hiding canned foods in the garage. ‘I wanted to make sure we had enough, mom.’ I realized then that they were panicking, because I was.’: Mom urges for a calm in the storm, ‘Take a breath, your kids are watching’
“I told my kids to make sure they picked up a pack of TP every time they went into a store. Let’s be real, your kids know what’s going on. We are teaching them it’s okay to mow somebody down when they’re scared of something.”
‘She ‘stocked up’ on a 2-month supply. ‘I shouldn’t have to put my family in jeopardy just because others don’t know how to prepare.’: Mom says ‘preparing shouldn’t look like hoarding’
“She had 2 months worth of toilet paper, cleaning products, and dry food. She said it, ‘Wasn’t her fault.’ My friend is a teacher with MS who has been to 3 stores today searching for basics. Preparing shouldn’t look like hoarding.”
‘As you push past another shopper, determined to be the first one through the checkout line, your children are watching.’: Mom reminds us to hold our children tight, ‘Your actions speak just as loudly as your words’
“You fretfully throw toilet paper and hand-sanitizer into your shopping cart. You rigorously wash your hands, for the fourth time this hour. ‘Are we going to be okay, mama?’ they ask on the car ride home. Your actions speak just as loudly as your words.”
‘Mommy, kids were yelling and happy, but I’m scared.’ She tearfully told me students poured into the hallways after dismissal. I choked back sobs.’: Mom says ‘if we are engaged, we can teach our kids coping skills and resiliency’
“I knew my husband was there to get her but I was too far away in that moment. I know that panic because I’ve had it too. These are the generations that were born and raised post 9-11. They are a generation that grew up practicing active shooter drills at school. Yet they kept going to school. Until now.”
‘I noticed an elderly man standing behind a bridge. ‘Excuse me sir, are you OK?’ He turned and looked at me. ‘I’m OK love. I’m just admiring the view.’: Woman says elderly are ‘most at risk and most hopeful’
“‘Oh no,’ I thought. Was he panicking? Was he all alone and afraid? He turned around and said, ‘Lovely day, isn’t it?’ He tipped his hat, gave me a smile, and walked off in the direction of home. In all of this, they are the most calm. The most brave. The most hopeful. They aren’t stock piling pasta or toilet rolls, they are looking out for themselves and others.”
‘My youngest son had a stroke while in the check-out line at the grocery store.’: Mom to son with heart disease says ‘it kills more than corona, but I won’t let either stop our lives’
“Even though we’ve been told to ‘quarantine,’ that doesn’t mean I’m going to allow anxiety steal our daily joy we have fought so hard for. We’ve been given more time, and we’re not going to take it for granted.”
‘You are being asked to substitute teach without adequate training or preparation. Do not try to copy school at home.’: Mom of 7 reminds quarantined parents ‘there’s no right or wrong here’
“No training or preparation. This would not be allowed in our classrooms. Resist the urge to plan every minute. Have reasonable expectations or no expectations at all.”
‘There are a lot of ‘what-ifs’ in the world right now, so I decided it was time to pull out the tutus and let the magic begin.’: Woman spreads joy and laughter to strangers during coronavirus outbreak with rainbow tutus
“As we all stress and worry about the unknowns during this worldwide crisis, we decided we had to do something to bring a smile, happiness, and a few moments of laughter to our little corner of this world we inhabit.”