Corona what? Schools are what? Can’t go where? Stuck here?
Based on what has been posted on the Facebook Group “Coronavirus Madness 2020” thus far, it seems the mayhem increased each time W.Va. Gov. Jim Justice issued a new order. Now, with 41 positive coronavirus tests in the state with most of the new cases in the Morgantown area and two in Ohio County, there seems no end to the madness.
Home schooling. Three square meals per day. Operating a small business from a usually quiet-during-the-day home. Question and request, question and request, question and request …
Stacey Purpura and her husband, Frank, are parents of 5-year-old Audrey and 2-year-old Alex. Audrey usually is a student at Miss Sharon’s Kidz Preschool and also danced for Take A Bow. Frank is a systems analyst for PPG Industries, and Stacey owns Sigma 9 Design.
Life? Different. Bearable? Of course, and that is why the Facebook Group of “Coronavirus Madness 2020” was created. The members share activity ideas, teaching methods, and many, many humorous posts in an effort to relieve stir-crazy tensions.
What led to you starting the new Facebook Group, Coronavirus Madness 2020? And please explain the madness part.
I started the group out of a need to find and give help. When I had my daughter, I had severe PPD, and a forum of women with children born at the same time really helped me through that time. I thought this would be a similar help to others. I originally named it Coronavirus Mom Madness 2020, thinking we could share home-schooling and child care tips, but within a day or two it became clear that this was not just for moms; there were a lot of people who had resources to share with those who could benefit, so we opened it up.
What type of information has been shared by members of the group, and what advice has been shared?
The group has a daily photo thread and a check-in thread. The photo threads help you to feel “seen,” especially now when we might not be leaving our houses. The check-in is a virtual water cooler chat. A lot is light-hearted – we know where to go on our feed if we want the serious news – we need a safer space to try to find some humor in a very serious situation. We’ve got a learning resources thread with teachers or school suggestions, an Amazon wish list thread for those wanting to pay it forward, and a location thread for people to find each other. We’ve got people from Washington, California, Texas, New York, etc. It started with me, so a lot of people are here in the OV, but it branched out pretty quickly.
What ideas have you shared with group members, and which ones offered by others have you tried?
People have been sharing recipes and activities to keep kids busy. I’ve gotten a few games for the kids based on those recommendations, and I’ve gotten some good online learning resources in that particular thread. Most recently, I’ve gotten a lot of information on making masks and where to get supplies and a pattern.
Tell us what the biggest challenge has been since the schools were closed and now that the meal distribution has been suspended by Ohio County Schools?
The biggest challenge for us since school closed is how to juggle childcare and working remotely. I work remotely all the time, but I always have childcare. Now we do not, and luckily, my clients and my husband’s employer are understanding. We are all in this together; everyone’s doing the best they can in this situation. Because my daughter wasn’t yet in the Ohio County Schools system, I hadn’t taken part in the meal distribution, but I know it was available to us (children 2-18), as we do live here, and she will be there next year. Seeing it suspended definitely was a punch in the gut. I worry about the kids that need it, and quite honestly, it felt like a safety net was taken away from us even though we weren’t yet using it.
How have you made sure your children’s interest in learning has continued although it is taking place outside of their classrooms?
We have been making use of a Signing Time and Starfall subscription, which seems to be working well so far with both kids. We started a garden, and we’ve got a lot of experiments and crafts on the schedule. I know a lot of librarians and teachers are also doing story times. Above all, right now, kids need to play. I’m encouraging them to use their imaginations, and it’s working. The kids are by far the least worried about things in our house, and really, that’s what I hope for. The kids are going to be okay.
