Diary of a Day During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Right now, we’re fighting for our lives against Corona Virus also known as COVID-19, which has affected many people around the world. I am very happy and thankful that me and my family are very well, and I hope that all the people who have been affected will get better, and the world will get back to normality. Apparently, this situation affected all of us, including me, and it has especially affected youth in the social aspect.

Currently I’m staying home every day and I can’t go out and meet my friends and relatives, or do any other activity. However, this does not mean
that staying home does not allow one to do several activities and keep being productive. On the other hand, we are with our parents and siblings all the time.

I live with my parents and my two sisters, and each one of us has their role, wishes, and given responsibilities. Being with family members all the time, sometimes can make it difficult to fulfill duties and responsibilities, but we can achieve everything if we show discipline.

The most important thing for achieving family harmony is dividing roles and duties within the family; each one fulfilling them, being satisfied, helping each other; and spend their free time doing things they like. I start my day at about 10 O’clock. I make my room and together with my family we cook breakfast, and them I help my mother with some chores.

Then I finish my university assignments and any other important thing. In case I need to buy anything, I go out, always wearing mask and gloves. After finishing these I find some time for myself, mainly doing workout, painting, or watching any movie.

My two sisters also have almost the same routine. They help our mother, clean the house, and afterwards each of them does their assignments.

My youngest sister attends online classes, does her homework, and in her free time does several activities: reads books or paints. My older sister
is a University student and after finishing her tasks makes her room, helps my mom cooking, gets relaxed by watching movies, does workout or other activities.

My mom takes care of the house, but we help her all the time, then she cooks, and has some rest while reading books. My father has already started working and upon return buys grocery, help my mom with any chores, or my sister with her homework. Then he finishes his last things
about work and relaxes watching movies or reading.

So, in general, this is our family routine during the COVID-19 pandemic with each of us trying to finish our duties and responsibilities, and trying
to help each other – making sure that all of us have some free time to relax.

We are all aware this is a difficult time to all of us, but we hope than soon things will return to normal and this should serve us as lesson to appreciate small things we’re surrounded with; the nature and each activity we do, and be thankful for our good health, our family, friends, and everything else we have in life.

This article was written by Erlisa Hoxha, a student in the Department of Social Work in UP under the monitoring of professor Vjollca Krasniqi within the cooperation with SIT. This article was written within the project “Men and Boys as Partners in Promoting Gender Equality and the Prevention of Youth Extremism and Violence in the Balkans”, implemented by CARE International Balkans in partnership with SIT and YMCA in Kosovo and supported by Austrian Development Agency, and Oak Foundation.