The COVID-19 pandemic changed our lives in unimaginable ways. For many of us, the challenges were overwhelming - juggling remote schooling, working from home, and managing health concerns while striving to keep our children safe and ourselves sane.
As a new mum, this period was especially challenging. My daughter was born in 2019, just 10 months before the first lockdown. Balancing new motherhood and returning to work during a global crisis was daunting, to say the least. They say it takes a village to raise a child. During the pandemic, our villages - family, friends, and community networks - vanished overnight, leaving parents isolated.
The Every Story Matters campaign provides a powerful opportunity to document these experiences. Through it, parents can share stories of resilience, loss, and survival, highlighting both the struggles and strengths we carried through this turbulent time.
The UK COVID-19 Inquiry’s current phase examines how the pandemic affected
children and young people - a focus that resonates deeply with many parents. During the pandemic, children endured disruptions to their education, social isolation, and heightened anxiety about their loved ones’ health. Online learning posed challenges for many, while others faced food insecurity or witnessed their parents’ stress over job losses and financial hardship.
Teenagers missed key milestones - proms, graduations, and simple moments of
social connection. For younger children, formative years passed without playdates, grandparents, or the guidance of teachers. I often worried about my daughter’s development. Was staying at home without other kids enough? Could masked supermarket trips provide sufficient stimulation? Watching her mimic COVID-19 tests with pens and sticks underscored how deeply this strange new world was shaping her experiences.
When she started nursery in June 2022, the adjustment was rocky. Handing her over at the gate to strangers after months of minimal interaction was unsettling for both of us. Like so many parents, I wondered about the long-term effects on children who had spent their early years in isolation.
For me, the pandemic also brought personal loss. I lost a grandparent - not directly to COVID-19, but the restrictions on visits and gatherings made grieving far more isolating. This loss underscored the importance of connection. Hugging, laughing, and simply being present with loved ones - things we once took for granted - became painfully absent.
Despite the hardships, we parents did our best to shield our children from the storm. The Every Story Matters initiative allows us to share these challenges and ensure future policies better support families in times of crisis.
As the Inquiry expands to examine societal impacts, the focus will include key
workers, vulnerable populations, and those who faced mental health challenges or bereavement. Parents were often on the frontlines - healthcare workers, teachers, delivery drivers, and retail employees - keeping society running while managing the chaos at home. These stories reveal the sacrifices made and the resilience shown during this difficult time.
For the bereaved, the pain of losing loved ones was often compounded by
restrictions on hospital visits and funerals. These stories are crucial to shaping
compassionate policies for future crises. Mental health, too, took a significant hit during the pandemic. As parents, we struggled to be everything to everyone, often running on empty. Addressing the long-term mental health impacts on both parents and children is essential.
Parenting during the pandemic was like climbing Mount Everest without a guide. Sadly, not every parent or child received the support they needed, and the consequences were sometimes life-altering. By sharing our stories with the Inquiry, we can ensure that our collective experiences - our joys, grief, resilience, and lessons - become part of the UK’s historical record.
Every Story Matters is about more than identifying what went wrong. It’s about
building a better, more inclusive future for families. By reflecting on the past, we can amplify the voices of parents, children, and communities, ensuring they are heard and acted upon.
I often think back to our time in lockdown. My husband, daughter, and I spent more time together than ever before - time I now treasure. But it was also incredibly hard. These shared experiences, with their mix of struggles and moments of connection, are a crucial part of the bigger picture.
Whether you were a parent juggling work and homeschooling, a new mum isolated without a support network, or someone grieving a loved one, your story matters. By contributing to the Inquiry, we can ensure these experiences drive meaningful change and create a more supportive world for families facing future challenges.
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- Share your pandemic story with us via Every Story Matters.