For Episode 12, I talked to two full-time working moms, Kate Schauer, whose son is 12, and Nicole Santacroce, whose kids are nearly 6 and 3, about how they are balancing work, virtual learning, pre-existing health challenges, anxiety, communicating with partners, and more during this time of COVID-19. I hope this episode offers other moms some commiseration, as well as ideas for specific tactics that can help them deal with these stressful, challenging times.
Also, a note: Kate, Nicole, and I all recognize that many, many families have been devastated by COVID-19. We are lucky because we haven’t lost loved ones to the virus, had our employment drastically affected, or had to go outside of the home to work when the virus was spreading the most. This episode is not about the most traumatic, horrible events of this time. Instead my goal was to focus on this one population—working moms with kids—and dig in about the daily challenges just within this bubble of parenthood.
Thank you so much for listening!
Essays to Read Around This Topic (I’ll add to this list, but here are a few to start):
- “‘I’m Going to Physically Explode’: Mom Rage in a Pandemic.” The New York Times.
- “Raising an Only Child During the Pandemic Means I Have to Be My Son’s Friend and Parent.” Good Housekeeping.
- “The pandemic introduced my kid to Fortnite. Should I shut it down?” The Washington Post. (Including this one because Kate actually talks about Fortnite and how her son started playing during the pandemic. Seems timely for other moms who have pre-teen kids.)
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