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Ten-year-old Benjamin describes his angry outbursts as “wildfires” and “catastrophes,” desperately building forts with the couch pillows in the basement of his home, only then to have them taken apart by his older brother. His “wildfires” can spread all across his family as he loses control of what he says or does. He has heard about the virus, but its connection to his rageful meltdowns seems far away. He is despondent in their aftermath, turning to the softness and comfort of his dog for reassurance that everything will be alright soon.
Rosa uses her “critters” and the dollhouse to create a family scene with me watching via FaceTime and commenting on the play as it unfolds – she moves the phone around when necessary, ensuring that I have a clear view. In this particular scenario, the kids return to school after a long, extended break. In contrast to life before the break, there are now “cameras” in all the classrooms, tracking the movements of each kid.
“Why do they need cameras in the classroom?” I inquire. “Because the kids could be sick and they want to make sure that everyone is ok,” Rosa says in a somber tone.
Rosa then asks if we can continue making her “virus book,” a book she is authoring that depicts the changes in her life since the Coronavirus. She corrects me in stating that the book is not about “what I don’t do” that is different from before (pre-COVID), rather it is about “What I can do” – a creative, hopeful twist that frames the theme of the book.
Theo, a chatty, curious 7-year-old boy who loves playing chess, has become phobic of his mother’s toes. He moves his face as close as possible to the screen, squints his eyes and looks at me as though we are speaking to each other from different planets. “I’m scared of my mommy’s toes. They look different than they used to.” I know from his mother (who with some humor informed me that she of course for the time being is unable to get pedicures) that Theo’s preoccupation with her toes emerged since the ons