My Daughter Has COVID and I am Grateful it Wasn't Worse

On Monday we found out that my daughter has COVID-19. She had been sick for a few days with a cough, but we had thought it was just a cold, and hadn't thought to test her for COVID. But then, her daycare closed on Monday because of several other cases so we had the family do a test.

It has been my worst fear throughout the pandemic that she would get sick, especially since she was so little when the pandemic. But now at 6 years old, and with 3 vaccine doses, it was a mild case of COVID. We were some of the lucky ones.

When I had COVID back in November on my visit to the US I had a mild case as well. I guess that says something for vaccinating. My friend who I had to quarantine with had only the initial vaccine and had a worse case than I did.

Staying home, wearing masks, sanitizing. We did it all at the beginning of the pandemic. But now that everything has opened back up it has faded to the back of our minds, but the pandemic isn't over yet. COVID is going to be our reality for years to come, just like the yearly flu that we vaccinate for.

I am grateful that my daughter wasn't sicker, that she didn't have to go to the doctor, that she didn't have to be hospitalized. She is just bored at home this week, missing out on things. She was supposed to go to school, dance lessons, a birthday party, and a kids indoor playground this week.

We will keep testing to find out if she is able to get some of her activities back on track once she tests negative. Until then, we have to quarantine in the house.

Germany has lifted most of the restrictions now, and she has to stay home from school for the week. In the US, you have to quarantine for 5 days and mask for 5 more days. Things have eased up since the beginning of the pandemic.

It is a far cry from everyone staying home day after day, with restaurants and businesses being closed.

Finding gratitude in difficult situations can be hard at times, with the constant needs of a sick child at home. In any difficult situation though, there are things that we can still be grateful for.

We can find gratitude for all the small things that are going right. I am grateful that my partner and I both tested negative, so that he is still able to go to work. I am grateful that I have flexible work so that I don't have to miss time to be home with my daughter.

Most of all, I am glad that she is in good spirits despite it all, and still able to play like a normal kid. She is active and full of energy, and able to be up and around instead of lying in bed with her cough.

I am also grateful for good friends who brought over a nebulizer for her to use, as well as some vapo rub and bath scrub for when you are sick. It is great that we have people in our lives who care so much about helping her get better.

I am grateful that we didn't make anyone else sick, since all of our friends have tested negative since coming in contact with her last week before we knew that it was COVID.

In the future we will be more careful, and go back to routines of sanitizing regularly. However, we can't always protect our kids from everything that comes our way. Beating yourself up doesn't do any good.

No matter what happens, remember that there is still goodness in your life, and still something that we can be grateful for.