COVID-19: Our Little One and His Wonderful Bubble of Oblivion

“It’s calm under the waves, in the blue of my oblivion.”

– Fiona Apple

When I was a boy growing up in the Philippines, I remember schools being closed because of typhoons. I would then spend the day or days playing, not a care or worry in the world.

I thought about this as I was lining up for two hours this Thursday evening at our grocery store, feeling like I was trapped in a zombie film, everyone stocking up on rice or toilet paper, while I wanted to make sure I had enough potato chips to last through social distancing.

Welcome to these surreal COVID-19 times.

The hubby and I had done emergency prep a few weeks back – stocking up on two weeks of items – because we like to be prepared and want to avoid panicked crowds. So this recent trip was a regular run to get items for the coming week. Still, this crowd felt ridiculous.

T is fairly oblivious to what’s going on – other than knowing the box of non perishables in the corner of our dining room is for “Emergencies” – and we are happy to keep it that way.

There is no sense freaking a child out who does not have the life experience to put it all into context. We’re sharing the bare minimum of what he needs to know, which is school is going to be out for the next three weeks and to wash his hands often.

When we learned the news of school and daycare closures, I felt disappointed – as well as panic of what to do about childcare.

On a very selfish note, T has made so much progress at school. We see the tremendous gains he’s made. So I worry that with three weeks off, he will lose that momentum.

But such is life. You roll with the punches!

In the grand scheme of things, we are lucky to be in good health, good spirit, living in a city and country that is prepared and measured in its response to this unprecedented situation.

We will make the most of T’s time off. The hubby will be spending quality Daddy and T time with him next week. I am so thankful for this moment for them to hang out.

The following two weeks are still a mystery but we will figure it out.

I also find it surreal being a parent during these strange times. Staying calm for T, when it felt just like yesterday my parents did that for me. Now, I also remember to check in on my Ma – like doing a grocery run for her today.

Alas, I simply try to bring myself back into T’s world, where it is business as usual. For our five year old, the world is still a safe and fun place full of play and wonder. As a parent, you want to hang on to and cherish that innocence for as long as possible.