I’m not going to sugarcoat this at all—Covid and lockdowns have felt terrible. They have taken away so much from our day to day lives for adults and children alike. But in the darkness, you can always find some light if you’re willing to look for it.
When restrictions were at their peak, I used that time to teach my children about perseverance, mindset, and gratitude. I saw so many people complaining about what they and their children were missing out on because of Covid that I did not want to fall into that negativity trap.
I took time to talk to my children about perseverance and the need to keep going even when times are tough. After all, you don’t usually have control over everything in your life, but you can control how you handle it. With Covid, we cannot control the spread or restrictions placed upon us, but we can make the best out of the time we have together. So, my children and I watched what I enjoyed as a child and talked about what life back then was like for me. We also spent a lot of time playing games and getting tighter as a family unit. I’m not saying every day was awesome and that we were always happy, but more often than not, we were. We will likely never get so much time together again in our lives, which definitely increased the bonds between us forever, I’m sure.
I also thought that it was important to speak to them about gratitude. No matter how bad you think you have it, others have it worse. Yes, we would complain sometimes, but we also had so much to be grateful for. We had a larger villa with a yard and rooms for each of us—this was not a luxury afforded to everyone.
We also had jobs, food in the fridge, and all the necessities of life. There were also many extras to help pass the time like Netflix and video games, plus Zoom to stay in touch with friends and family locally and abroad. In past pandemics, many of these things were not even an option.
Lastly, our family here and abroad remained safe and healthy throughout. There was so much to be thankful for. Though I’m hoping we are coming to the end of this
historic event, I feel that we have gained so much from it. I have seen my children develop tools they can use personally and professionally for the rest of their lives to handle tough times that may lie ahead. I also feel that I have gained the confidence needed as a parent to keep our family sane through difficult times. I even learnt that we could rely on one another.
So, in the end, there have been negatives, but I feel that the positives have greatly outnumbered anything else. But having this perspective has been a conscious choice.
