Rebekah

Frontline worker prioritizing socialization

What’s more important to you: Your child’s physical health or their emotional wellbeing? Impossible decision to make, right? Rebekah works on the front lines, directly with COVID patients, and feels the profound weight of this decision. Hear her story about finding the answer that felt right for her family.

"I work in a hospital, working 13-hour days covering for other people who are out sick because that's what's required right now. So, I have my work family and then I have my son, Jackson.

He understands. He knows what's going on and how dangerous it can be. He’ll ask, "Is this 6 feet?" And I'm like, "That's a foot, keep going!" But he also understands that I have a job and I have to keep people well.

But Jackson is very social, and for him to not be able to hang out with his friends like he normally would—have playdates like he normally would—it’s been really tough for him. It took me about three months before I let my son go back to daycare. I actually felt really good about him going back.

"It took me about three months before I let my son go back to daycare. [We were] excited, just to have … a normal part of our life back. He loves going to school … KinderCare has that same kind of atmosphere."

He was super excited. I was excited, just to have that realm of somewhat of a normal part of our life back. He loves going to school, and that’s the part that he really likes about KinderCare is it has that same kind of atmosphere.

As a mom, of course I'm worried about my son's safety. That's a mom's natural instinct. As a healthcare worker and understanding how serious COVID can be...I don't know what the right answer is now, and if I look back in 20 years—did I make the right decisions? Would I change anything? I don't know. I mean, I don't know what [the future] is gonna bring.

As scared as I was about my family or myself getting COVID, I also think about the mental and emotional ramifications that social distancing has [on kids]. Where do you find the balance of mental health and physical health? Those are all things that you have to take into consideration.

It is a balance, and it's one that I guess each person will have to decide for themselves if they have their own healthcare issues in their own home – and we do – technically both of us are considered high-risk. But I can't live in fear, and I think that's the balance you have to find."

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Rebekah

"It took me about three months before I let my son go back to daycare. [We were] excited, just to have … a normal part of our life back. He loves going to school … KinderCare has that same kind of atmosphere."