Everyday heroes

28th May 2020

In this current global crisis which we are all effected by we appreciate our local heroes such as the NHS staff; Doctors, Nurses, paramedics, postmen, Teachers, Vets, Retail workers, voluntary or bank workers and other services. They all come out of the comfort of their houses to look after us in every possible way and we can only show them respect by applaud and acclaim, and by writing good things about them. As it isn't easy to stay indoors but it is even harder to get out and help people in these tough times.

As the numbers are constantly increasing daily Covid 19 is still very dangerous and contagious, and that makes shopping and travelling really hard and risky; as it is something that spreads really quickly and people take a long time to recover from it, as well a that the hospitals are filled with people on ventilators and oxygen, making it hard for the health services to manage it all, and in this situation there are some people who have not received any applause or praise from the local community neither have the government mentioned or highlighted their efforts, and those hardworking people are Parents in nearly every household.

Yes it is those mums and dads or one of them, It is very hard for us to see many heroic actions behind closed doors as many things are not shown to us and they hide quietly behind those closed doors.

They are the legends who have to be Teachers, Doctors,Nurses,friends,Chefs, and First Aid for their children. They work without any wages and they are making sure that children are not going out and not being unsafe while teaching them basics of health and hygiene, they also teach them everything from washing their hands to changing themselves after coming home from outside. They have to keep the kids busy as they're very easily bored with staying indoors, they have lots of little demands all day long, they can be fussy eaters,newly toilet trained toddlers or children with superpowers mummies and daddies are there for everyone . It can be a difficult task having to explain to children why we cannot attend school, why can we not go swimming or go to our football or basketball clubs, because their tiny minds and hearts have never been through this type of a strange thing. Making things feel normal and giving details about these unusual times can be sometimes a bit awkward.

Parents can often be going through financial crisis, health issues, pregnancies, depression, domestic abuse or divorce but in order to bring peace and happiness in the family they could be ignoring a lot of their own personal problems,which they cannot share with anyone and they could be holding their breaths and having to hide their tears, missing their favourite Me times , missing not seeing their best friends, not getting a chance to go for a coffee on their own, not getting to go for a small drive or sit in the cafe or library for a little while and while everyone finds it hard to go out for even a walk; parents may go out several times in a day to meet the demands of their little munchkins but have to come back asap to attend them.

We are at a stage now where a lot of parents are already working in front line services but now a lot of them have to send their children back to schools as it could be their last year i primary or secondary, they could be starting a new job, there are many mums and dads who have to return to work and come back to look after their children. some parents are still sending their children to schools for dinner time as they cannot afford to get them a filling meal at home. I believe parents are our unsung heroes who should be identified and praised in the same way as other heroes.

Sahira Parveen