Jessica Nolen and her 5-year-old daughter had a morning routine. Fights with their alarm clocks first, some morning television, then quick berry smoothies, and always rushing out the door. By 8:30 a.m., they’d arrive at Opportunity School, a day care in Amarillo, in the Texas Panhandle. Nolen, a single mom, would check in with her daughter’s teachers about her behavior, field trips, and projects before giving her a hug and kiss goodbye and heading to work as a fleet compliance officer. Around 5:30 p.m., Nolen picked her up and drove home, as her daughter relayed stories about her friend and their adventures on the playground. After dinner they’d get ready for day care the next day and start again.
Then the coronavirus pandemic began. In late March, Opportunity School alerted parents that it would be closing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Nolen’s morning routine, meetings with teachers, and her daughter’s playground tales abruptly stopped. Nolen was lucky that her job allowed her to work from home, but juggling her day-to-day responsibilities with looking after her daughter began to wear on her.
During the day, she balanced filing paperwork and making work calls with preparing lunch and snacks and entertaining her daughter. She constantly explained why they couldn’t play just because they were both home together. And she worried her daughter would fall behind because Nolen couldn’t both work effectively and ensure her daughter was being stimulated. “We enjoyed our time together, but also I think she got tired of just being with me and she wanted to play with friends,” Nolen says. “A struggle for me personally was just feeling like I should’ve been able to get more done.”
