Even in Confinement, We Can Teach Our Kids About the World

We’re six loaves of banana bread into this quarantine and I’m no longer sure what day it is.

We’ve had time to relax and do things we don’t usually have or make time for.

We have what we need.

More than that, we have many things we simply want.

We are safe.

So far, the most uncomfortable part about all of this for us has been the heartache we’ve felt upon hearing of and from those who are suffering. Those who are scared. Those who are struggling in ways we have not experienced.

As well as the continued uncertainty surrounding our nation’s circumstances. And perhaps our own.

But overall, we’ve been lucky.

And I want my kids to know it.

We’ve been practicing gratitude. In spite of disappointment. In spite of frustration. In spite of inconvenience and irritation.

Because we have not yet felt the desperation others are experiencing.

And that, no doubt, is a gift.

We’ve been talking about the reality of how the effects of this virus are devastating families in many ways.

We’ve been talking about healthcare workers, and grocery store employees, and other essential workers.

We’ve been talking about how heavy this is for so many.

We’ve been talking about those who have been serving us so well.

I don’t know what tomorrow holds.

But so far, we have been shielded. We have been protected.

But many have not had this luxury.

And I think we need to talk about it.

All of this extra togetherness has given us the chance to talk with our kids about thankfulness and contentment. To teach it. To model it.

It’s a chance for us to help them gain an understanding around the concepts of suffering and sacrifice. And compassion, too.

Even though we are confined to our homes, it’s a chance to teach them about the world outside of these four walls. And all the people who are part of it.