My COVID Story: Adele Perry

How Covid has impacted me?

The Covid-19 pandemic. Who saw this coming? The pandemic has and still is feeling all a bit surreal.  With all the uncertainty and change happening around the world, it is overwhelming to say the least.  I am from New Zealand, but living in Vancouver, so my mind has been in two different headspaces at the same time. And it's challenging. Keeping up with the news, family, and friends in New Zealand, as well everything here, is a lot.

Like most people, Covid-19 has impacted me both professionally and personally, and I am still adjusting. It’s a roller coaster ride. Some days you’re doing great, and other days you’re not. It's perfectly okay to feel this way. I think we all need to acknowledge that somethings currently suck (for lack of a better word), and do what we can to make it suck less, even if just a little bit. Everything has changed, and we need to take some time to adjust to that too.

Personally, I have been able to mostly embrace the isolation. Without all the social pressures and extra work coming in, I’ve had extra time to really focus on myself. I’ve been able to get my indoor garden going.  I’ve had the time to organize my home, belongings, and online files and photos.  The biggest thing for me though, is that I have had more time to focus on my health. I’ve had extra time to focus on eating well and looking up new and exciting recipes to try, as well as incorporate more exercise into to my daily routine. I have been making these changes slowly and sustainability so that it all sticks, even when life gets busy again. These are the things I chose to focus on, to keep sane during the pandemic. I'd be lying though, if I didn’t acknowledge that it hasn’t been easy. There have been many bumps in the road and days that I lack motivation. It has been difficult not being able to see friends and go away on vacation. Although, we have had the chance to catch up online a lot during this time, it’s just not the same. And as for the vacation, it helps to remember that this is more money in my pocket for now, and I can save up for a bigger trip sometime in the future. I do miss being able to just go out for a coffee, hang out with friends, go for a hike, or just go anywhere and not be worried about the pandemic. Seeing a great majority of people walking around in masks is a tad overwhelming, too.

As for my professional life? I am super thankful to still be employed and have a place other than home to spend 40 hours of my week. I am grateful that I don’t have to deal with the uncertainty of not working, not knowing when I would be able to return to work, or dealing with government benefit plans. 

Covid-19 has slowed down my transition into working as a newborn care specialist, as I am limited to only working with one family.  Covid-19 has impacted my current nanny role, too.

While I am grateful to still be employed, it hasn’t been easy working through the pandemic. I feel like I am adjusting to a new job that I didn’t apply for. The dynamic in the workplace has changed. Dad is now working from home every day of the week, the kids and I can’t go on our daily adventures, and we are home more than we have ever been before. These are big changes to get used to, for all of us. I feel lucky to have a great working relationship with my employers, and a large home to work in where we can mostly separate ourselves. One of the ways we have embraced having Dad work from home is by encouraging him to have lunch with the boys every day. Having a great working relationship with open communication has made these changes a bit easier, but it’s still a challenging adjustment. 

One of the hardest things for me to see, though, is the impact COVID-19 has had on the toddler. He regressed in his potty training (thankfully we got on top of that pretty quick), he was tired all of the time (wanting to nap at 10 am), and he had a hard time listening, just to share a few of our struggles. It took some convincing to get him out of the house during the first weeks, too. I know he misses going out exploring and seeing his friends. His world has changed, and he can’t fully understand why. It really tugs on my heart strings when I hear him say things like “I miss bus” or “miss (insert friends name here).” What am I meant to say?

I am the kind of nanny who takes children out on adventures to explore and see friends, which usually takes up half our day, if not the whole thing. I am not the kind of nanny who enjoys or does well with being confined to the home. Having to change my mindset for work, and be okay with being home, is hard. We find ways to keep busy and we go out on walks almost every day, but it’s just not the same. I’m also not a fan of young children having access to technology, but we have to be adaptable to the times. To try to add some normality to our days, we have virtual play dates a few times a week, but they never last too long.  We also signed up for a local online music class. We treat this exactly like our in person class time, except the teacher is behind a screen. It’s amazing to see how much he's really enjoyed the class and how he interacts with the teacher through the screen as if she's right in front of him.  

Working as a nanny is isolating to begin with. We don’t have colleagues or co-workers like at many other places of employment. I do feel this pandemic has isolated us even more, and like everything else, it does take its toll.  

Covid-19 has me questioning a lot of things.

What impact will this have on the children (socially, physically, mentally, etc.)?

What impact will this have on society?

I am hoping for many positive outcomes and trust that we have all learned valuable lessons on many important issues, including lessons on how we impact the environment.

I also wonder what other ways has this pandemic has impacted us, that we may not even be aware of yet.

How has Covid-19 impacted you?

When you stop to think about it, you may have your own story to tell, too.