Thread:

Today was really tough for me. My 4 year old started exhibiting symptoms last night (runny nose) and so we prepared ourselves for the idea he may not be able to go to daycare today. When he woke up, he was sniffling, so we quickly coordinated a plan of action:

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My husband would take him for a drop in covid test because I was already past the cut off for being able to call in for my shift. They left at 730 am, and I began work at 830. By 11 AM, they were back, and I got to hear how incredibly brave my son was getting his throat

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Swabbed and how he “listened to the lady so good and opened his mouth like AHHHHH!” Given that B is autistic, this was even more impressive than usual. My husband went into work, while I hurriedly prepared a nuclear option for B- snacks, water, smoothie, books,

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Educational computer games and Disney plus. I went over how he could get my attention in my downstairs office if needed and we did a dry run. He was extremely pleased to be left alone to watch videos about preying mantises and eagles, and

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I was happy to have gotten him tested so quickly and to be able to get back to work. Then the worries started creeping in:

-What if his results don’t come back quickly? I guess I will have to keep him home while I work all week..

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-What if he has covid? Our entire family will have to quarantine, lose out on pay putting us in a precarious financial spot and what will the long lasting health repercussions be?

I tried to quell my nervous thoughts while I worked but sometime around 2 pm, I

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Was on a work call and heard “MOM!!!! MOM!!!! I need you!” Because, even though we went over him coming down to my office and quietly waving if I was on the phone, he is 4, and he needed his mom. I got off the call ASAP and helped him with what he needed.

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Then when I was alone, I started to cry. How the heck am I supposed to do this again? Work while taking care of my son and do a reasonable job at both? Not a chance. I started to feel intense guilt while thinking of how, because of his ASD, a week’s worth of screen time

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Would probably cause B extreme dysregulation and take two weeks or more to resolve. This is not a workable situation for me or for anyone. This is the reality of this pandemic for working parents but especially moms. The provincial government has done NOTHING to

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Address the reality we are facing and will face on a much larger scale in September- employers will need to be flexible with employees who are parents. We will be being called to pick up our kids more often, we will be missing work, and we will get sick too.

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If the UCP would institute protections for workers, and protected and paid sick leave for parents to use for themselves and their kids, that would help everyone out. Employers, parents, teachers, kids and the economy. Not doing this from the start was a huge oversight.

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But there is still time to make this change prior to September. There is still time to do right by Albertans.

Cap class sizes. Staff the schools appropriately. Institute provincial government paid protected sick leave.
Make it happen, after all..

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Your campaign slogan was “Getting Albertans back to work”, so maybe this can be one promise you made that is *actually* a promise kept.

#ableg #abpoli #abed #abhealth

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