For the second year in a row, Mother’s Day celebrations are going to be looking a lot different because of the COVID-19 pandemic, a health crisis that has disproportionately impacted mothers.
Over the last year, moms have primarily been the ones taking on the added pressure of staying home with kids during shutdowns and online learning while also trying to work from home.
According to Dr. Marcia Sirota, a physiatrist, author and public speaker, women have lost 62 per cent of the jobs this last year, primarily in the service sector.
As we approach Mother’s Day this coming Sunday, Sirota has been speaking out about the added stress mothers have been under during the pandemic and the need for added support.
“Moms are the ones who are suffering the most from the pandemic,” Sirota said.
“Working moms, career moms have been hard hit because of all of the school closures, so they are having to give up their careers and stay home.”
Sirota said for moms, staying home can lead to a “loss of identity” and “loss of meaning and purpose” and high alcohol use because they feel unhappy and stressed.
“We want to celebrate moms in a way that’s meaningful, and helping them have a better life is a really good way to support our moms right now,” she said.
“When we are thinking about Mother’s Day we want to do more than just give her a card or a call, we want to think about the kind of situation they are in and maybe consider doing something to support our mom.”
Sirota is encouraging people to take things a step further for Mother’s Day and lobbying the government for things like affordable child care, so when moms can go back to work, they have the resources available to do so.
With a stay-at-home order still in place in Ontario, London Medal Officer of Health Dr. Chris Mackie is reminding people about the need to be cautious this Mother’s Day.
“We are getting vaccinated, but by increasing our social interactions we are really just negating the vaccine, so even if you have been vaccinated, now it’s not the time to gather with mom,” Mackie said.
“Very soon, within the next few weeks, we will start to see restrictions lifted, at the end of May or early June, and that will be the time to have those outdoor distanced gatherings, but now it’s not the time.”
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