I am the mom of three kids: Teddy a 27-year-old PhD student at the University of Pennsylvania, Sam a 24-year-old cook who lost his job in Germany due to Covid-19, and Molly a 13-year-old seventh grader at Sartell Middle School.
This blog is about Molly.
Molly holding her cat Poppy
I am going to share stories about Molly’s activities, hobbies, new adventures, typical school day, and connections with her friends and family. Most of my narratives will be success stories that share ideas on what to do and how to cope. Some of my accounts will be about the pain and suffering Molly encounters during isolation. Some of my stories will be from the people in her life.
Over the past year I have watched Molly grow into a healthy, young adult and I am proud of how she has handled isolating from her family and friends. The success of adolescents is critical for the future. I believe young adults have been underestimated during the pandemic and I hope to shed light on their possible resilience by sharing Molly’s story. Although I will be documenting Molly’s life, I invite readers to share their valuable and useful antidotes of the adolescents in their lives during this historical time.
Like many kids during the pandemic Molly has been distance learning since March 13, 2020. Throughout this time her school has tried several learning models of hybrid, distance, and face-to-face. On February 8, 2021, students went back to in person learning. The decision to keep her home was easy for my husband Paul and me since I work from home, and we want to keep Molly safe. When the pandemic started, we did not know what safe would be; however, now we know safe to us is when Molly gets vaccinated. In Sartell less than 10% of seventh graders—approximately 30 classmates—have been only distant learning along with Molly.
Molly spends most of her time in her bedroom learning, decorating, tending to her plants, playing with her cat Poppy, gaming, and FaceTiming with her friends.
She settled into the distant-learning life naturally. The timing of the pandemic worked in her favor because up until January 2020 when Molly turned 12, she slept with me in my bedroom and Paul was displaced to her room; however, when we returned from a skiing trip in the Poconos for her 12th birthday, she decided to move into her room. Two months later the pandemic happened and spending time in her room was still a novelty.
Molly’s bedroom became hers for the first time in her life AND it also became her classroom and playground. First on her agenda was having a TV in her bedroom. I did not think she needed a TV since she rarely watched TV and she had an iPad. I realized how independent and determined she was when Paul came home from work in early March to her trying to move a TV in her room from the basement. It did not take much convincing after I saw this TikTok she made documenting the ordeal. Alas, the TV was in her room a few days later.
Soon after the TV, Molly decided to spend her birthday Amazon gift card on decorative lights for her bedroom. They have multiplied over time and she frequently tries new ideas of illuminating her room. Currently her room is outlined in pink and the underside of her bed is lit up. I am impressed by her imagination. As fall approached, we realized Molly would start seventh grade at home and she insisted we move a desk from Teddy’s bedroom into hers so she had a dedicated space for schoolwork. Her school supplies included a keyboard for her iPad, fake fingernails, and a Squishmallow plush frog to keep her company during her Zoom calls.
Over the summer months, Molly discovered house plants and crystals and she turned a bookcase in her closet into a space to enjoy the crystals. The houseplants have also multiplied. On the walls Molly hung up posters, postcards, Polaroid photos, and mementos. She arranged them in collages and interesting groupings, moving them around often. She is surrounded by the ideas, people, and places she loves. Among the photos are many of her cat Poppy who spends most of her time in Molly’s room in the chair keeping her company as she learns, plays, and visits virtually with her friends.
Throughout the day, Molly calls or texts me to come to her bedroom to see Poppy’s cute antics. They have an amazing relationship that has grown stronger over the past year. Having a comfortable bedroom that she decorated and set up has helped Molly fill her time while adoring the space she occupies with all the personal, special touches. The pandemic and Molly have taught me that loving the area you inhabit makes it all a little more bearable.