Q: Parenting young children while infected with COVID-19: This sounds like a nightmare! Is there anything I can do to prepare for such a scenario?
A. First, let’s acknowledge – yes this is a nightmare.
The virus and the need for social distancing has stripped families of their caregiver networks, forcing parents (or a single parent) to care for kids on their own while sick.
It also raises questions like, “who will care for the kids if I need to be hospitalized, especially if the kids are probably infected too?” Although COVID-19 is generally most dangerous for the elderly and people with underlying conditions, healthier adults in their 30s through 50s have also required hospitalization.
What to do?
Legal experts recommend, “Devise a backup plan now, even if you aren’t sick.” Because COVID-19 will be here to stay for a while, it’s likely that more and more families will be facing this scenario at some point in the future:
1. Make a list of family and friends that would be willing to step in, even though they will most likely be exposed to the virus. Talk to them about it early because they may need time to weigh the risk to themselves. Ideal caregivers are those that have been infected and have recovered, but this isn’t always an option.
2. Once a temporary guardian has been identified, formalize the arrangement in writing. If both parents are on a ventilator, for example, and the child get sick, someone will need to legally consent for their medical care.
3. Devise a care plan for the caregiver, especially if the person is not someone who has regularly cared for the child before.
Other things to consider:
*Who will buy groceries/household essentials if the entire household is sick?
*Identify the closest hospital and let family/friends know where the parent may be taken to in the event of an emergency
*If you have a pet, who will care for it?
As one parent noted, ““When you’re young and healthy you think you can wait,” she said. “But this pandemic has made clear that can change in an instant.”
