Written By Ashten Dick
Summer is officially in full swing! But because of COVID, this summer looks a little different. Americans have quarantine fatigue and since most states have relaxed their quarantine rules, people have started to venture back out into the outside world. Pools, beaches, stores, restaurants, and many other places have started welcoming people back little by little for the summer season. Many of us are stuck in limbo between being in quarantine and resuming a somewhat normal life. We will see what the days ahead hold, but I know that quarantine fatigue is real and it looks different for everyone.
During quarantine, many people found themselves cooped up and “in the house bored,” as quoted from a famous TikTok, my new favorite app. I know I’m just another millennial who crashed in on Gen-Z’s territory, but it is honestly so addicting. If you aren’t familiar with TikTok, it is basically an app that lets you watch, create, and share short videos. The majority of users have been teenagers through early twenties, but the millennials made an entrance during quarantine. Apparently we are old now. I know this because most videos made by youngins must have taken hours to accomplish. While it is extremely entertaining, I can’t help but think “How in the world do they have time to do that?” Then it hits me. Oh yeah, they are young with no responsibility and bored out of their minds in quarantine. Oh how I wish I were bored. I partly love this mind numbing app because it makes me feel carefree for a moment. As if I am also a bored quarantined individual.
Unfortunately, boredom has not been the cause of quarantine fatigue for moms with young children. I have not had the luxery of sleeping in, binge watching Netflix, laying around, or doing whatever I want. Nope. Instead of quarantine boredom, I have had quarantine exhaustion. My alarm is the sound of a toddler screaming to get up. I cater to his every need while attempting to cater to my own needs. Before summer break, I would attempt to teach first graders from home while caring for my own tiny needy human. Of course add on the responsibility of taking care of our household simultaneously. I have been exhausted.
One of my favorite statements I have gotten so far has been from another mom, “The toddler age was definitely hard but also sweet. However, I would go insane if I was quarantined with a toddler. I don’t know how you’re doing it.” No sugarcoating it. Just laid it out there. And it was actually what I needed to hear. It is OK that I haven’t woken up each day and felt like I’ve got it all together. There is a meme that reiterated this, stating “Check on your friends with toddlers. We are not ok.” It is meant to be funny but also lays a lot of truth out for someone like me. This young mom phase of life is already difficult, then add a pandemic and quarantine on top of it and it makes for what feels like a monsoon.
Then there are families who have quarantine fatigue just from simply being cooped up all day every day together. Parents of school aged kids had to teach their kids at home. And as a teacher, I’ve seen first hand how much stress this put on families, especially for those with multiple children or for those working from home. Other families have lost jobs and have tried to take care of their families in this suffering economy.
Even though these times have been hard, several families took that stimulus check and did something to help with their quarantine fatigue. One family of five kids ranging from 3 months to 18 years old stated that they were so cooped up that they decided to get out of the house and completely renovate and landscape their backyard. I was a bit jealous when I first heard this, wondering how they were able to do such awesome renovations with so many kids. I want to do home projects out of quarantine fatigue! You should see our backyard. Jumanji was filmed backed there. But then I realized that her older kids help with the younger ones and neither her nor her husband have been working. Everyone’s quarantine has looked different.
People like my sweet mother have had quarantine fatigue from being cooped up in an empty quiet house. My dad has continued to go into work every day while my mom has been stuck at home with no more kids to care for, no stores open to shop in, no restaurants open to meet friends in, no church to attend, nothing but a big beautiful quiet house to sit in all day. To a working young toddler mom like me, that sounds like heaven. But for a women who likes to stay busy, it was the ultimate boredom. She said her house has never been so clean because that’s all she was able to do. Unfortunately, my house could not be any more opposite during quarantine!
My quarantine fatigue has been caused by my sweet fireball toddler. He destroys my house more and more every day. I pick it all up at the end of the day just to have it all torn up again the next day. Things that are not toys have turned into toys, and since we’ve been home every day for months on end, I’ve just let it all happen as long as he is safe and happy. We have watched and listened to more nursery rhymes than Mother Goose herself. I’m pretty sure I have lost almost all of my brain cells but can still sing every one of those brainwashing songs. The highlights of our day consist of playing outside, taking walks, and playing with our neighbors. Life has been different in quarantine, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Despite my longing to have been “in my house bored” during quarantine, I am ultimately grateful for the life God has blessed me with. I may have been exhausted and overwhelmed throughout these last few months in isolation, but I would never trade it for any other kind of quarantine fatigue. There are several people who would give anything for a family or a job during this time, so I do not take advantage of my blessings but rather embrace them. I am beyond thankful for my wild red headed toddler, my busy and hard working husband, my call to teach first grade, our messy but beautiful home, and the chaotic life that we’ve been blessed to balance during quarantine.
Ashten Dick
