We expected the early months of our baby’s life to be dull – and then the lockdown started | Ben Smee

We hadn’t envisaged raising a child so physically remote from our families and friends

Our child was born into a world of fire; he arrived on a bushfire Saturday as large parts of the New South Wales south coast went up in flames.

He is growing into a world of enforced detachment. We had expected the early months of parenthood to be tiring and dull and unadventurous. We had not contemplated that our boy might go months without meeting another person; that we might spend months without the support and love of our extended families.

Related: Farewell, workplace burnout: will coronavirus slow the manic pace of our modern lives? | Johanna Leggatt

Our wish for him now is to be able to be ordinary. A happy introvert like his parents if he chooses

Related: Babies who use eye contact more likely to build up vocabulary

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from Children | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2xOghDa