The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way most people live their day-to-day lives, especially for parents with young children – and even celebrities are no exception to the changing times. BabyGaga recently had the opportunity to speak with NFL star and Enfamil Enspire spokesperson Andrew East about how the coronavirus crisis has changed how he and his wife, Olympic golden medallist Shawn Johnson, are raising their daughter Drew, who is set to turn 1-years old on October 29th, 2020.
With the couple’s daughter’s first birthday fast approaching, the parents have been planning how to celebrate the big milestone. But given the current conditions – and the fact that many places have strict regulations against large social gatherings – it’s not surprising to hear East and Johnson are planning to keep things small. Despite the limited guest list, however, it sounds like the parents-of-one are planning to pull out all the stops for their baby girl’s birthday.
“We’re having a really small get together with family,” East told BabyGaga. “We’re hoping to go all out, as much as we can, with invitations, cakes, balloons, everything. I know that it seems like it’s more of a celebration for us, since she’s so young, but we want to set the habit of celebrating her in a special way.”
Of course, simply because birthday and other important celebrations have to look different in this day and age, it doesn’t mean it still can’t be a blast. There are countless creative ideas parents can bring to life while stuck in quarantine that will make their child’s birthday memorable without breaking social distancing protocols. Many celebrities, too, have shared on social media how they’ve celebrated their children’s special days while isolating. Chrissy Teigen and John Legend, for instance, celebrated their son’s 2nd birthday with a Sesame Street-inspired shindig. While the guest list was small in terms of people, they made it special by bringing in other special guests – a series of reptiles, which their kids could interact with, making for an extra special day.
Drew’s birthday celebration isn’t the only thing that has changed for the couple in terms of how they’re parenting. When asked about plans to put the toddler in daycare, East explained that while they were considering it at one point, they’ve put those plans on hold for the time being. “Originally, we wanted to put Drew in daycare, but we’ve grown more hesitant to do that right now,” the former Washington Redskins player explained.
East added that Johnson’s parents have stepped up to the plate and enjoy taking care of Drew (and giving the parents much-deserved time off) whenever they can. “Fortunately, we have Shawn’s parents in town who are able to help here and there, but in a lot of ways, we’ve been really fortunate to be able to slow down and savor our time together,” he explained. “It’s been fun to take morning walks and have really quality family time in the evenings, so we’re enjoying that while we can!”
The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly changed many things, including childcare. In many places, services such as daycares and even schools and pre-schools remain closed to prevent the spread of the virus. Or, in other circumstances, though they may remain open, they present a risk as cases continue to soar, particularly in the United States. Many parents must weigh the pros and cons before sending their children back to daycare or other childcare services. But at the same time, many parents don’t have much of a choice, as their career demands they have help caring for their children during work hours.
There’s no denying that things are different with the COVID-19 pandemic, and unfortunately, they may stay this way for the foreseeable future. But as Andrew East demonstrates, even though families must adapt to the changing circumstances, there’s still always a silver lining. Though celebrations may be smaller and childcare more difficult to secure, focusing our energy on spending time with family and making the most of the situation is in everyone’s best interest.