Introduction
Since late 2019, the coronavirus pandemic has expanded far and quickly, wreaking havoc on countless families worldwide. Food insecurity, lower salaries, job loss, school closures, high prices of essential commodities, sick family members, and other issues are all exacerbated by the COVID-19 epidemic. Vulnerable and low-income households, in particular, are at risk because they lack the resources to get through a difficult time. In this paper, I’ll discuss my challenges when working with families during the pandemic.
Working With Families During the Covid-19 Pandemic
The Covid-19 pandemic has reorganized family life, with family members dealing with the stress of social isolation and quarantine. Because of what other family members go through when one of them contracts Covid, this doesn’t prove easy and tormenting for the close-knit families. Furthermore, school closures have facilitated homeschooling and increased the likelihood of exam postponement. On the other hand, parents feel pressured to work from home and care for their school-aged children while maintaining their jobs and businesses. Caregivers’ resources become limited, jeopardizing support and family ties (Garbe et al., 2020). The fear of losing family members may increase in a high-risk group.
Furthermore, grief and mourning caused by losing a beloved family member can lead to depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, adjustment problems, and even suicide, mainly if contact with an infected family member is restricted. Parents are responsible for explaining and informing their children about the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects and dealing with the anxiety and fear that come with these uncertain times. Everyone in the family may be concerned about the coronavirus pandemic (Garbe et al., 2020). As a result, when all of this comes together, it can cause stress and psychological distress for every family member. In addition, the pandemic has increased the tension due to social isolation, sickness, virus-related death, loss of income due to unemployment, helplessness, and uncertainty about the future.
Many families are experiencing financial strain due to the pandemic’s severe economic consequences. Even after receiving rental assistance and additional unemployment benefits, many families struggle to make ends meet due to job losses and strained resources. The COVID-19 pandemic has nearly pushed many low-income families into financial ruin (Garbe et al., 2020). For the time being, short-term policies and aid programs keep these vulnerable families afloat, providing some respite.
The coronavirus pandemic has hurt the global food system, exposing its vulnerability. Most notably, due to quarantine measures, trade restrictions, and border closures, farmers could not purchase inputs or sell their products (Garbe et al., 2020). Furthermore, as a result of these actions, farmers could not harvest their crops, disrupting global food supply chains and preventing families from accessing safe, diverse, and healthy diets. The COVID-19 pandemic has decimated employment, putting millions of families at risk of hunger. Millions of men, women, and children are at risk as breadwinners become ill, die, or lose their jobs, with low-income households bearing the burden.
Conclusion
In conclusion, many families are going through difficult times, as I witnessed while working with families during the coronavirus pandemic. As a society, we must do much more to alleviate the hardships that have brought families to their knees. Even as we consider providing financial assistance to these financially vulnerable families, they also require mental aid. The ordeal that these families are going through is traumatic, and assisting them can ease their concerns.
Reference
Garbe, A., Ogurlu, U., Logan, N., & Cook, P. (2020). COVID-19 and remote learning: Experiences of parents with children during the pandemic. American Journal of Qualitative Research, 4(3), 45-65.