I’m Grateful Not to Be Holed Up with Toddlers

And other thoughts about the coronavirus pandemic.

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

Responses to the coronavirus pandemic have been as varied and diverse as our population, ranging from outright panic to sanguine nonchalance. My family is no exception.

My daughter sounds like a true introvert when she talks about being in lockdown mode. “Personally, I am beside-myself-delighted that everything is cancelled for the next two weeks. To get to rest, spend time with my family, and get extra work done around here for a two-week period of time is like a gift.

“No school schedules! No church/youth group/special Easter program practices! Greatly reduced driving! Time for the kids to catch up on studying, time to work on farm projects, and time to exercise.

Amazing!”

My son, on the other hand, is stranded at home with two toddlers and a pre-teen.

“I’ve already tipped our babysitter to move us to the top of her waiting list,” he said. His employer cancelled all travel so he’s working from home, which would be fine if day cares and schools weren’t cancelled. But they are, so he is frantically recruiting babysitters.

He listened to an interview with an expert on how to keep your children from panicking over coronavirus, only…