Collected Item: “Martin Family Covid 19 Days”
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Martin Family Covid 19 Days
Creator (put anonymous if you don't want your name to appear)
Nancy Martin
Date
May 8, 2020
How are you doing?
We are doing as well as can be expected, and for that we consider ourselves very lucky. We have pay cheques coming in and are healthy. Our children have been very resilient and amuse themselves nicely each day. Daryl just complete this Executive MBA at Ivey weeks before this started, so he is loving having all this free time to exercise and catch up on tv shows, etc. I am having the hardest time amusing myself and filling my days.
Are you isolating with someone else, if so who (relationships, not names i.e.. father, sister, roommates, spouse, your children etc.)?
Husband, 42, children ages 9 and 11.
How has COVID-19 affected your home life? How are you passing the time?
We are all getting on each others nerves at times, but keeping busy.
Daryl is working for Canada Life from the basement. He is fairly busy and his job is secure so we are very grateful for that. He is currently trying to run every street in London, so is going on 10km+ runs several times a week. The children, Grace and Poppy, are doing their school work from home each morning and then play on their iPads, do crafts, play in the garden or amuse themselves with Lego, etc. I am having the hardest time - I have taken up baking sourdough bread with some success. I try new recipes and have spent time in the garden. I was working from home until this week when my job suddenly ended when the teacher I was in for returned to work early.
Daryl is working for Canada Life from the basement. He is fairly busy and his job is secure so we are very grateful for that. He is currently trying to run every street in London, so is going on 10km+ runs several times a week. The children, Grace and Poppy, are doing their school work from home each morning and then play on their iPads, do crafts, play in the garden or amuse themselves with Lego, etc. I am having the hardest time - I have taken up baking sourdough bread with some success. I try new recipes and have spent time in the garden. I was working from home until this week when my job suddenly ended when the teacher I was in for returned to work early.
How has it affected your work, education, etc.? Are you an essential worker?
Daryl's job is secure and he is working from home from our basement. I was teaching Kindergarten from our bedroom, which was less than ideal. I missed my students terribly, and find the days to be so very quiet. The biggest loss was the cancellation of Daryl's EMBA Convocation - he was really looking forward to the celebration with his classmates.
What about the outbreak and response to it has you most concerned?
I am concerned by the anti-vaccination minded in our society. The conspiracy theorists spreading misinformation is troubling. I am saddened for families that had incomes that they suddenly lost, and I worry how long people will be without work. We also worry for our aging parents, that if they got sick it would take their lives.
Do you know someone who has or has had the virus? How has this affected them?
We have a close family friend in Jakarta who got the virus and died. It was very sudden and he went very quickly. He was in his early 60s. He was the income earner for his family, and they had suffered a financial blow from an Earthquake last year that they were still recovering financially from.
How well do you think the government and other leaders are responding to the pandemic? What do you think about the local, national and international media coverage?
I am impressed with Justin Trudeau, I can't fault his response or that of the federal government. I think they are doing the best they can. I'm not a fan of Doug Ford, and I think he mismanaged it and is trying to do catch up. I'm relieved we don't live in the US, and have Donald Trump as a leader as I honestly worry for the American people.
What challenges are ahead? How and how fast do you think normal life should be restored?
I think we have a lot of challenges ahead, and suspect it will be longer and bumpier than a lot of people think it will be. I can't imagine how we will return to schools, or a lot of work places. I worry the next flu season will see a spike again. I worry that in several months people will start to not be able to afford their homes or car payments, etc.
What do you think will be different after the pandemic? What do you think should be different? What will be better or worse?
I think our economy will suffer for several years. I think there will be a large number of people who don't have jobs to return to as companies scale back and/or clear out staff. I think we will be forced to social distance and limit social interactions to some degree for quite some time.
What is your address? [private]
[private]
I agree to the Terms and Conditions of submitting to COVID-19 in London, Ontario: capturing the local experience.
Yes
I give Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections permission to show my submission online
Yes