{"id":6559,"date":"2021-04-09T09:52:04","date_gmt":"2021-04-09T13:52:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/?p=6559"},"modified":"2025-08-23T19:06:26","modified_gmt":"2025-08-23T23:06:26","slug":"perspectives-of-preschool-teacher-moms-during-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/2021\/04\/09\/perspectives-of-preschool-teacher-moms-during-covid-19\/","title":{"rendered":"Perspectives of Preschool Teacher Moms During COVID-19"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Paula Brousseau is a single mom with two children. She\u2019s also a classroom support aide for the Early Head Start program at York County Community Action.\u00a0 When COVID closed schools, she worried about her children, and her children that she Zoomed with for a half hour each week.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0In March 2020, when the Head Start program closed, Paula was able to focus on her family for two weeks while the program tried to figure out the next steps. The school decided that the teachers would Zoom with the little ones.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Paula\u2019s students are all under the age of 3. Paula said that it was rough at first. \u201cWe did a lot of strange ideas to keep them occupied.\u201d She said, \u201cWe did a lot of crying\u2026. We have kids at home, and these are our work kids. There\u2019s no difference in how we treat our kids at home and our work kids\u2026. It was really hard to say \u2018Bye\u2019 every week and not seeing them for a week.\u201d Neglect was not a concern, but she worried about any financial burden that parents might have.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Paula worried because she shared the parents\u2019 experience. She received her regular pay for 20 hours per week, but she consistently worked 30 before COVID, so she had a deficit in her regular budget. Paula understood what the parents were going through and could empathize. With housing, MaineCare and food stamps, she said that she was able to budget and get by.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Restrictions made her dependent on her boyfriend. That was hard for Paula, but things were tough enough without taking two children into stores to buy essentials if she did not need to.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0In addition to the weekly half-hour Zoom with her students, Paula did hours of training. Paula\u2019s son has an Individualized Education Program and Zoomed with his specialist, but she knew he needed more. She supplemented activities for her son on her own.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Before COVID, her daughter lived with her father in New Hampshire and attended school there, because Paula had to work during the week.\u00a0 Her daughter was able to stay five weeks at a time with her and return to her dad\u2019s for two weeks.\u00a0 Paula said that it was frustrating to homeschool and plan around everyone\u2019s Zoom meetings. They went outside a lot.\u00a0 Even when the parks were closed, they took picnics and played in the fields.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Paula is grateful for being home with her children during the summer. By mid-August, the time came for her to return to YCCA, but her children were still home. She was able to stay home on the Family Medical Leave Act under the CARES Act until her children went back to school.\u00a0 It was a financial hit for her as the amount she receives is three-quarters of her pay. Paula said that she was angry with her employment for a while because she felt there was an alternative that could have been worked out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0When Paula returned to her class, it was with half enrollment, based on priority. She continues to have Wednesdays off under FMLA because her son is home.\u00a0 Her daughter is back with her dad while Paula is working, but with ADHD she is having a hard time.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0One of the biggest challenges of COVID is not seeing her family in Massachusetts until the recent lifting of the governor\u2019s mandate. She said that it hurts, but that isn\u2019t her biggest loss. Paula said it\u2019s \u201cFreedom…. When I\u2019m not allowed to take my kids to the park\u2026. When I\u2019m looked at funny because I\u2019m a single mother and I\u2019m bringing my kids to the grocery store.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0In December, Paula had a sinus and ear infection.\u00a0 She tested negative and went back to work. When one of her students got sick at school, it was her responsibility to wait with her unmasked student in a room, waiting for a parent to arrive. Paula tested positive for COVID shortly after that, and she still had a sinus infection. She wonders if she were given an antibiotic on the first visit to the doctor,\u00a0 her immune system would have protected her.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0After risking her health for her work kid, Paula could not be with her daughter at Christmas. At any sign of sniffles, her daughter stays in NH so she won\u2019t miss any school.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0As for her Early Start class, enrollment is still at half capacity. Paula says that the children are needier without all their playmates.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Worry has been the theme for this single mom and classroom support aide. She said she doesn\u2019t think people realize what the teachers do. \u201cIt\u2019s a learning process for us too\u2026. They don\u2019t understand how much we sit at home, worrying about their kids.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Curious Kids Preschool moved their classroom to the porch to keep everyone healthy during COVID restrictions. The students are outdoor five hours every day. Merrimac, Mass. (Photos by Shannon Murray)<\/p><\/div>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Shannon Murray owns Curious Kids, a private preschool in Merrimac, Massachusetts.\u00a0 Before COVID, the class was in her home where she lives with her family.\u00a0 Shannon\u2019s family and the families of her students share a very different demographic from Paula and her Early Head Start students.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0In early March 2020, Shannon said, \u201cI remember\u2026this strange, something\u2019s coming, this wave coming from the horizon\u2026 It felt scary. It felt like I had this real sense of responsibility for people\u2019s health and safety. And I didn\u2019t know if I was qualified. Who was I to understand COVID?\u201d\u00a0 She modified her sick policy so there was no tuition if a child was home sick. Disinfection and sanitation were increased.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Shannon decided to follow her local school system\u2019s decision, so when they closed, Curious Kids did too. Her family knew it was risky but felt it a risk they had to take.\u00a0 She wondered if the decision would be a risk to her reputation.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Most parents were supportive of Shannon\u2019s decision to close. Some were uncomfortable with it.\u00a0 Shannon said, \u201cIt was interesting to see\u2026. Political differences among families and the COVID connections there became very clear.\u201d A week later, the state mandated her closure. Shannon said that she knew she made the right decision, and it was nice to have her children home.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Unemployment was not available to self-employed individuals when she closed.\u00a0 The Curious Kids community rallied around to do what they could to help. Some contributed 25 percent of their child\u2019s usual tuition. Others could not.\u00a0 It took patience and understanding, but Shannon said, \u201cEveryone was loving and supportive.\u201d In May, unemployment opened for her, and she received retroactive payments. \u201cIt was a big relief.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0With Curious Kids closed, Shannon\u2019s attention focused on her family.\u00a0 Shannon\u2019s daughter fell into depression, fearing the loss of a family member. Her mother-in-law\u2019s health issues caused them all to worry about getting her sick.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Shannon\u2019s husband, Pete, is the director of campus recreation at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. It was painful for him to lay off less essential employees, and there was uncertainty about his job. \u201cIt was stressful. Just very stressful.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0When summer came, Shannon tried to Zoom an hour each day with her students. She tried read-alouds. Parents picked up project kits curbside. It wasn\u2019t appropriate for preschoolers and not what they need.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0In August, Shannon reopened Curious Kids based on her research on entirely outdoor forest school programs.\u00a0 She piloted a fully outdoor preschool starting with two hours per day. Her screened-in porch became her schoolroom. The kids did great, even during thunderstorms.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0In September, Shannon extended the school day to five hours.\u00a0 Curious Kids continues to meet from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every weekday.\u00a0 Shannon said, \u201c It has changed my expectations\u00a0 of what kids can handle as a school and what parents will support.\u201d\u00a0 Before COVID forced her classroom outside, Shannon found there was a disconnect between what kids need to be healthy and safe, with what parents provided.\u00a0 Now she knows what to ask to keep her students comfortable during rain, teen temperatures and snow. \u201cI\u2019m such an optimist. It\u2019s all gains.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Shannon was intrigued with forest preschool programs before COVID.\u00a0 Lockdown gave her time to do more research.\u00a0 Restrictions made is necessary.\u00a0 Shannon said, \u201cEverything that I\u00a0 read is really validating of what I\u2019m doing and why it is good for the kids. It\u2019s very encouraging.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Shannon\u2019s challenge was balancing anxiety, and she admitted it was intense at first.\u00a0 The masks still make some of the children uncomfortable.\u00a0 Wearing a mask outside is at the parents\u2019 discretion, but a mask must be worn when using the bathroom inside. Communication with masks can be challenging, but interaction with the children has not changed.\u00a0 Shannon still hugs them.\u00a0 \u201cIt doesn\u2019t feel too risky. It feels necessary.\u201d Activities are planned for space between the children, but it\u2019s impractical for preschoolers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Shannon is in contact with preschools that have opened with inside learning, and they all have had outbreaks. At Curious Kids, everyone has been healthy unlike a typical school year with preschoolers.\u00a0 Parents are cooperative and keep their child at home for two weeks if they know of COVID contact.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Shannon maintains her financial stability and her enrollment. The success of the outdoor school is a validation of the nature program she always wanted to do.\u00a0 Her reputation is intact, and she believes bolstered by its success.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0There are some things that Shannon\u2019s students lost.\u00a0 The end of the 2020 school year faded away with no good-byes or celebration. There\u2019s less academic time, but Shannon said, \u201cI think they are getting a lot of what is essential in childhood.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0During this year of social justice focus, Shannon thinks about her privilege. Her student\u2019s families can flex and send their children for three hours: they can change every day if necessary.\u00a0 When Shannon comes inside after three hours in the freezing rain, she thinks, \u201cTo be able to do something that might be physically uncomfortable, it still feels like quite a privilege to be able to do it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Shannon confessed to being an introvert. \u201cConstant commitment can be draining. It\u2019s nice to have a slower pace.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Shannon the optimist sees the silver lining of that strange unknown that came from the horizon last March. \u201cAll the family time\u2026. My kids are homeschooling right now\u2026. I feel more deeply connected to the families that I work with and social connections.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Paula Brousseau is a single mom with two children. She\u2019s also a classroom support aide for the Early Head Start program at York County Community Action.\u00a0 When COVID closed schools, she worried about her children, and her children that she Zoomed with for a half hour each week. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0In March 2020, when the Head Start […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":258,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7381],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6559","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-archives","et-doesnt-have-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6559","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/258"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6559"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6559\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8293,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6559\/revisions\/8293"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6559"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6559"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6559"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}