Oct 15, 2021
"With less than 10 minutes' notice, I had to drop everything to stay home with two scared kids," Los Angeles mother Mandy Kent told us after a Covid-19 scare forced her family into quarantine. Her kids tested negative, but the episode put her on edge. "The stress is intense."
It's ironic that a pandemic that has made us hyper-cautious about our families' physical health has also taken a more insidious health toll on our stress. Many caregivers are feeling increased anxiety, depression, and burn-out. While the pandemic may have pushed more individuals to the brink, none of the structural failures are new -- caregivers have long faced inadequate family and sick leave and a patchy, expensive childcare system.