Dear Children, Remember This :: BMB Moms Reflect on Life During a Global Pandemic

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Birmingham Mom Collective
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We are living in days that will be recorded in history books. Sometimes we don’t think about that as we are struggling through another day of working from home with toddlers underfoot or managing distance learning for multiple children or trying not to let anxiety overtake us . . . or all of the above. These days are challenging for everyone, for so many reasons. We are making it, though, Mamas.

One day, this season will be a memory.

Our children will have memories of this time as well, and those memories will be shaped in many ways by us as their mothers. How we talk to our children about these days will influence their thoughts and their feelings as they look back on this tumultuous time in our world’s history.

Some of us at Birmingham Moms Blog have older children who are fully aware of what is happening around the world and in our own city, and some of us are moms of younger kids who don’t understand why routines have suddenly changed and why they now only see their grandparents and friends on a computer screen. There are many things our kids could remember from these unprecedented weeks (which are turning into months) at home. Some of our moms have shared below what they hope their children will recall most vividly about these life experiences.

Dear Children, Remember This . . .

While there was fear in the world around us, in our little corner of the world, there was laughter. Long walks, big hugs, art, music, and dance. We played in the grass, we cuddled on the couch, and we cooked meals together that we ate outside. We called our friends every day, and supported the people we love. We gave what we could and didn’t take more than what we needed. Most memorable of all, it was impossible to not hear the birds singing all around us.

— Katie R.

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I want my kids to remember the freedom I had to say yes more than I can when we have a school and sports schedule. I want my kids to remember how much unstructured time we had outside in the beautiful weather. I want my kids to remember how much they saw their neighbors outside, because that kind of community should be an everyday reality. I want my kids to remember how creative they were with so much time on their hands. I want my kids to remember their resilience in a time of major interruption and transition. I want my kids to remember the family bond that was strengthened at home. I want my kids to recognize and remember the kindness of God to give us downtime with family.

— Brittany V.

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Elle and June,
You two are only eight, going on nine months old now, so you likely won’t remember what went on with the coronavirus and COVID-19.
In all honesty, I don’t think day-to-day life as far as you two are concerned has changed tremendously. I stay at home with you two all week, and Daddy works from home most of the time anyway. The biggest difference is that we don’t venture out as much as we used to on the weekends. For example, instead of the four of us going to the grocery store on the weekend, either myself or Daddy will go so someone can stay at home with you two. Of course, Daddy and I have been extra vigilant about keeping our hands clean!
The biggest thing I will remember about all of this is the fear of the unknown, knowing what has happened in the past. Your 100-year-old great-grandma in New Orleans grew up without a daddy because he passed away in the Spanish Flu epidemic. I can only imagine what she is going through right now. Daddy also has cousins on the front lines as nurses.
News travels so quickly these days, but it is still hard to watch things pan out on their own. One day, things are happening nationally, next day, stateside, then there is a case a mere few miles away. Only thing we can do is keep up with what we’re keeping up with and hope for the best!
Love,
Mommy
 
— Kristina G.
 
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What do I want my kids to remember?
 
Of course what I want my kids to remember & what they will actually remember could be 2 totally different things.  I hope they remember the time . . . the time we spent reading next to each other, the time we spent playing games & putting meals together.  The time we spent talking on the walks we took will be a big part of their memories.  I am sure they will remember the chores I made them do each day, but that’s okay because that is a contribution to this family.  In 20 years when they mention this to their kids, I would love to be a fly on the wall.
 
— Jocelyn M.
 
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What I hope you’ll remember in the years to come is that we all paused. The world paused. Everything we knew to be normal, to be routine, simply changed overnight and we paused. As we paused, I hope you’ll remember that we discovered — and rediscovered — ways to fill the pause. Remember how we took turns cooking dinner and how you thanked your stepfather for always cleaning up no matter how big the mess was. Remember how we sat together on the sofa and I helped you learn to embroider. Remember how you laughed with your fellow students during that first day of online class and how good that felt. Perhaps, though, what I hope you remember most in the years to come is the power of that pause. The Great Pause of 2020 should be remembered and, dare I say, repeated in some way, when your world gets busy, when you rush from appointment to appointment, when your days are filled with caring for everyone you love. I pray you’ll honor the pause by remembering that time when we did not have a choice and choose to pause and reset. Your world, our world, will be better for honoring that time that the world simply rested.
 
— Chris L.
 
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This chaos has stopped us in our tracks. No more gatherings, no more school; the mom taxi services have been momentarily suspended and all our activities have been canceled. Time has seemingly been put on pause, and it’s forced us to slow down and appreciate things we’ve taken for granted. We are using this time to teach the importance of family and friends. Putting others first and the power of prayer. Finding joy in its most simplistic form and being thankful of our blessings; in the good times and the bad.
 
— Lindsay D.
 
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What I want my son to remember about March 2020 and the months following:

He is 3 so I am doing my best to make sure he is not scared or fearful. He knows we wash our hands A LOT and take off our shoes at the door. He even said to me the other day “everywhere is closed because people are sick, right Mama?” He knows he can’t play with his friends or go to the school that he loves, visit the zoo or grocery shop with Mama. That is what he KNOWS now.

But I want him to remember down the road is something far more important. I need him to remember WHY. It is imperative he understands the reason we aren’t playing on the playground, visiting family, going to the pool, movie theatre or McWane Center is because of something called sacrifice. We must all work toward a common goal to benefit the whole country. He needs to know that one day he may be called upon as a young man to act in such a way that only benefits others, and I pray that because we Are experiencing this now,  it will not be so hard as it seems to be for some of our populous currently. Altruism must be cultivated, we must groom our kids to know that we are doing what we do now for the benefit of ALL even if it’s inconvenient for us as individuals on a daily basis.

I want him to remember we are blessed to have a home to shelter in together, means to buy food and stay safely “socially distanced”. And maybe one day when it’s his turn to be selfless, my son will remember why and that we survived, and maybe even had some fun. Is it ideal? Heck no. Is it necessary? Most definitely.

— Laura P.

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I hope my oldest son remembers these days as the ones where he learned to ride a bike and dribble a basketball.  The days that we spread blankets across the front porch for lunch picnics and spent evenings on the back deck watching the beautiful sunsets that painted the sky.  I hope both of my boys remember bonding over living room dance parties, special treats, bubble machines, sidewalk chalk, and great stories.  Their daddy was home early for dinner and family walks became the norm as we searched for neighborhood hawks, woodpeckers and spring flowers and read fun messages on neighbors’ windows as we passed by. I hope they remember the comfort in slow days and the opportunity they were given to simply be kids.
 
— Brandi M.
 
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My children are young, and only the older two (ages six and four) will remember these days of social distancing and quarantine, but I hope they remember them fondly. We have been really happy together at home, and I want them to remember the feeling of contentment among our family of six. I want them to remember how much their dad enjoyed seeing them throughout his workdays from home and that their sisters were (and, I hope, always will be) their best friends. They know there is suffering and there is sadness in the world right now, and as they grow older, I hope they understand how truly fortunate they are to have happy memories of this time.

— Betsy G.

Document Your Quarantine Life

As we know this will be a memorable moment in history and in our own families, we encourage you to find a way to document this experience of “quarantine” and social distancing. Here are a few suggestions of ways to remember this unique time.

  • Family Journal – Choose various prompts and have each family member record his or her thoughts. Write them down or use video format!
  • Prayer Journal – Write down prayers so you can look back in years to come to see how God calmed fears, replaced worry with peace, and gave hope. (Brittany V.)
  • “Time Capsule” – Have older kids write down their thoughts and feelings regarding the experience overall, and conduct an interview with younger kiddos to hear their thoughts on this time. Find a template online to make it cute!
  • Photo Book – Take pictures throughout the weeks and put together a quick photo book when life returns to normal. Add descriptions or short captions to remember details from these moments.

Tell us what memories you want to stand out to your kids and how you’re documenting these moments in history!

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