The Agony of Pandemic Parenting

The Daily

The New York Times

Daily News, News

4.4 • 102.8K Ratings

🗓️ 16 April 2021

⏱️ 25 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This episode contains strong language and emotional descriptions about the challenges of parenting during the pandemic, so if your young child is with you, you might want to listen later. Several months ago, The Times opened up a phone line to ask Americans what it’s really been like to raise children during the pandemic. Liz Halfhill, a single mother to 11-year-old Max, detailed her unvarnished highs and lows over the past year. Guest: Liz Halfhill, a single mother and full-time paralegal, in Spokane, Wash.

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is my primal scream.
0:04.5	What?
0:13.5	From New York Times, I'm Michael Babaro.
0:16.5	This is a daily.
0:18.0	I just wanted to say...
0:21.0	Several months ago, the Times opened up a phone line
0:24.5	to ask Americans what it's really been like to parent
0:29.0	during the pandemic.
0:36.5	I have to hide in my closet to make this phone call
0:40.5	because there's no peace.
0:42.5	There's no quiet all I hear all the time is mom.
0:47.0	Like that, they're coming to get me.
0:49.5	I can't escape these kids.
0:51.5	They eat all day long.
0:53.5	There is way more laundry than when they were in school.
0:56.5	And all their pets, I have their dog and I've got the free leg
1:02.0	and her dog and I've got the talking parent and no one wants to feed them.
1:06.5	I think I need to run away.
1:08.5	All I can do is hide in this closet.
1:10.5	And even this doesn't last long enough.
1:13.0	Mom.
1:15.0	I have to go on being called.
	...

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