Single mum with covid

[spiritofvodka]

I'm on day 5 of covid and I'm feeling worse by the day. I have two young children reception and year 3 and I'm a single parent. Does anyone have any tips on how to get through this with the kids? Home schooling has gone out the window today and I've struggled to do anything but feed the kids and get the youngest to sleep. My oldest made breakfast for her sibling this morning and is helping the best she can.

You fed the kids and got your youngest to sleep? Sounds like you're doing bloody well. I had Covid and, ok it's different for everyone but the fatigue was DEEP. Forget the homeschooling for now; the BBC are airing loads of educational programmes right now, specially for children, so if they watch some of those that's good enough. Your eldest sounds like a blessing. Keep up the fluids; try to eat good food if you can eat at all. Don't feel guilty about 'neglecting' them, you're not, you're ill and your eldest is old enough to understand and be a real help so let her, and praise her to the roof. Day 5 was my worst day; by Day 9 I knew I was better - weak, but past the worst. Look after yourself; is there anyone you can call in case you feel worse?

Honestly, forget the homeschooling. Let them watch as much tv as they want and when you wake up in the morning fill up a basket of food/snacks and drinks that will last the day for them so you don't have to keep getting up everytime one of them is thirsty/hungry. Good luck and I hope you feel better soon

This is when you need help from friends and neighbours, OP.
They can’t come inside your home because you have to quarantine, but they could leave home cooked meals on your doorstep for you, do your shopping, or help tutor your DC with schoolwork online.
You should be resting as much as possible to help you fight the Covid, so forget about non essential chores. Lie on the sofa while the DC watch tv or play.
Go to bed when the DC do - the more sleep you get, the better for healing.
Covid fatigue can be exhausting- I had to get others to do my shopping and gardening for months, and am still breathless after 9 months, so I do understand.
Take as much care of yourself as you can, and don’t feel guilty - you need to prioritise your own rest and recovery in order to get well to care for your DC again.

Have you let the school know, they might be able to access some support for you.

Best wishes OP. Do you have a support bubble? Is their father around? I'd definitely be making a plan for if I felt worse.

Yes - definitely let the school know.

Forget the home schooling, just keep feeding them as best you can, take away if needed. Tv on as much as needed. Don’t put extra stress on yourself. You’re doing a fab job.

Bless you. Mine are year 2 and year 5, and I struggled. I set up a WhatsApp group with friends and asked for help with collecting prescriptions/groceries etc. People are more than happy to help so don't be afraid to ask. I relied on Uber eats and Deliveroo to feed the kids at least once a day. On day 9, I moved in with my Mum - who had it at the same time as me- so that we could try and help eachother. I'm still here now day 19 for me.

Is there any way you could stay with parents or friends for a few days?

I can see why PP are suggesting you come up with a plan, I was at my worst days 6-11.

I hope you start to improve soon xx

Do you have easy food in? And flu remedies?

Let the homeschooling slide. Tell the school they will understand. Put movies on, let them have devices, whatever helps. Lie on sofa while they play. They tidy up toys with direction from the sofa.

I am on Day 18 and last week gave up for 2 days as I was too busy vomiting to homeschool and DH had only just come out of hospital due to Covid and couldn't manage anything more than feeding kids and keeping an eye on them.

Like others have said see if anyone can drop meals or bring you some ones that can go in the oven for an easy meal. Paper plates and cups for a short time so less washing up. Great that your Year 3 child is able to help get breakfast. My children at that age could also make their own sandwiches for lunch so long as I sat there to provide a little supervision so that could be an option too. Non spill water cups/bottles. Snacks you want them to eat within easy reach.

P.s. Yes agreed with others - forget home schooling. I could hardly stay awake when I had it - and rest is the best thing.

And don't feel guilty about the eldest having to look after the youngest. Mine had to look after her little brother and me. Its only temporary and it's definitely character building!! xx

Handhold for you OP. It must be tough for you. You must be so proud of your little ones. Hope you recover soon.

Sounds like you're doing fine already tbh. I've been through similar. My husband was deployed to Canada for 5 months during which time I had an extremely bad flare up of my lung disease. For 5/6 I had to muddle through with no help from family who lived 200 miles away so my 3 and 5 year olds were just stuck with me. I can't emphasise enough how ill I was but I honestly thought I was going to die and would get my mum to ring me each morning to make sure I'd made it through the night. I told her if there was no answer then I was dead and to ring the police to come get the kids. Anyway, what I did with my kids during that time was absolutely nothing but the bare basics. Took them to school (some days I didn't because I physically couldn't), made all their meals, bathed them, put them to bed. Inbetween I would literally be laying on the sofa supervising them (or puking in the bathroom). Am I ashamed that I only did the basics during that time? Absolutely not, it was literally the only thing I could do. If the basics is all you can do then so be it. It won't damage your children in any way whatsoever, hell, they won't even remember it in months/years to come! It's so bloody hard being ill on your own so just do what you need to do to get through it!

Op, does your GP know your situation? Does your eldest know how to dial for help if necessary?

You need to let someone know you may need some support.

I read tip on here a single mum would put a juice box a cereal bar and a piece of fruit out the night before for her kids breakfast so she could have a lye in at the weekends.
If they watch tv or spend the day on their devices so be it.

Gosh I feel for you. As long as they are alive and have had something to eat at the end of each day, you have done a great job. What activities can they do together? So that you can rest as much as possible. I'd allow as much screen time as they want. Also joint activities, as far as possible. The older one reading stories to the younger one, drawing/colouring together, anything at all. It's just about survival. Hope you're on the mend ASAP.

Thanks for the excellent tips. I forgot all about CBeebies so I'll make sure that's on tomorrow. Oldest has been shown how to call for help and knows how to call my parents off the iPad. My friend is dropping off ready meals for me, but I've not got a huge appetite. I'm pretty well stocked for food. My oldest is brilliant and really helpful and caring, she even sat with her little brother through his online classes today to help him. I'm really struggling to sleep with the cough, as it just doesn't stop. I haven't slept more than a few hours a night since last Thursday. Unfortunately the children's dad won't see them until we've finished isolating and my parents are too high risk to help. Paper plates is a great idea. I have loads left over from both of their lockdown birthdays. Thanks again, I'm starting to feel pretty down.

I went through similar wirh my then 3yo in March. I literally couldn’t move for 2 days and felt rotten for about 10 days. Didn’t have homeschool but wouldn’t have been able to. I left a huge box of cereal and bottle of milk out and a block of cheese. Amazingly she survived off this for almost 2 days. I was also away for work when it happened so didn’t know any neighbours but luckily a friend made the 2 hours drive to drop off supplies and help. She’d had covid already.

If you started feeling worse, their dad will have to have them won't he?

@Billi77 a 3 yr old managed with a big box of cereal and a milk bottle and chunk of cheese for 2 days?? Wow

OP you're doing such an amazing job. I couldn't even get out of bed until day 7 - literally not able to stand up (I ran a bath and I had to lie down in the bath while it filled up around me)

You are doing an amazing job. Ensuring the children are fed and go to bed is enough. Don't worry about anything else.

I'm so sorry you're going through this x

Some areas have charities that will deliver precooked good meals. Your local council should have a helpline to put you in touch with any services like this or with a volunteer that can bring you shopping. And yes, lots of cbeebies for the kids and fluids and rest for you. Hope you start to feel better soon x

Try to change your position regularly, sleep sitting up, on your side or front. Open the window a little so that the air is not as dry to help the cough and leave some cups of water around to evaporate as dry air makes it worse. Take regular pain relief to take the edge off. Make sure you are drinking water and try to manage fruit smoothies or soup if you can to keep your energy up.

Do you have a sats monitor OP? They are around £20-£30 online and worth having to keep an eye as you are on your own with 2 kids. I was glad of mine, it meant I picked up DH going downhill which meant he got to hospital and started treatment earlier than if I hadn't had one and didn't need to go to ICU. If you get worse then their Dad will have to take them, he is less risk than your parents.

Take care OP and don't even think or worry about homeschooling. Let them watch tv all they want. Have easy meals. Few days of packaged meals won't do anyone harm. Just be easy on yourself.
Hope you feel better soon.

Hope you're ok. I'm astounded their Dad won't see the children. What about if you fall more ill? Surely he could take them outdoors for some exercise even if he doesn't have them overnight. Do basic care for them? He sounds useless.

Does he by any chance have a new partner/baby?

Your parents could also perhaps take children out to park or on scooters. Pretty sure outdoors is safe?