U: Video games. Literally. If he’s not doing work–school work–he’s just now started playing with his toys. Before he had all the video games and stuff he would always, he could be by himself, sit in a corner, play with his toys, have his own imagination set-up.

S: I think her favorite thing to do is play a game called Roblox. She used to do it before, but I guess she’s started doing it way better now. Her friends found a way to do it in a group chat and they do these things on Zoom where they can get together and have a group chat and play at the same time. So, they’ve really gotten creative and I think it’s pretty cool.

A:  She loves pretty much any kind of music. She loves to dance. She moved and bopped around a little bit before quarantine, but she definitely has gotten more into dancing.  I’ve committed to any time that there’s music playing also dancing with her so that she knows that when music comes on you should just move to it! Also people!  There’s this little girl and she’s six and she likes Aliyah a lot. Her mom makes her ask, “can I hold her hand?” I wouldn’t mind adopting to everyday culture and life that we should respect other peoples space and ask if we can touch their hand or hold hands whether there’s a pandemic or not . Aliyah still engages with the kids in the neighborhood.

Were there any firsts in quarantine?

U: We got paid to be home. [laughs] No. Jace was regular. The only first thing that he did, something new, was the virtual learning. My child aIced that. There was a lot of kids I heard about that, they didn’t do good, or there was always something wrong. Always something with the virtual learning.

S: Anya has been learning how to cook. So for the first time she’s been able to cook a full breakfast meal.

A: A ton! She learned to walk, which was a big one, huge. She kind of started saying–she still doesn’t say any string of words but she’s started to say words. She’s just totally changed as a human, half of her life has been COVID. So, that’s been pretty crazy! She has changed a lot from the beginning to now.

What’s been the funniest memory with your child in quarantine?

U: Him learning how to use Tik Tok and doing a few Tik Tok videos. I don’t know what he’s been watching, what he was doing during quarantine, but there’d be times I would be talking to him about it and he would have a smart comment. And I’d be like, “Yo, where are you learning this stuff from?” He’d be like, “Mommy, you’re just talking to me, I’m just telling you the truth,” or something. I’d say, “Ok, no problem.”

S: Right in the midst of COVID I got instagram because I didn’t have it before! A lot of times I come across funny things and Anya likes to laugh and she thinks I’m funny so if I come across something funny that’s appropriate, I will share it with her. So I follow Snoop Dogg right? And I know he’s not that appropriate for her, but he always posts this Asian guy singing numbers or the days of the week, have you ever seen that guy? [laughs] When I first saw that video…I, god. I thought it was so freaking funny. And I shared it with Anya. Whenever I come across a video I’ll be like, “Oh look,” and we’ll sit and watch it and laugh. I know that’s so corny but that’s our little joke.

A: We were all attempting to get fit during quarantine. [laughs] So we have a house full of four adults, an apartment, a small apartment, and a baby! Sometimes there’s a little yoga class happening in the living room, sometimes her dad and my sister’s boyfriend are lifting weights so she definitely observed this behavior and had a couple of really silly nights where she was fitness queen. Doing downward dog, three legged dog, one leg up in the air rolling around, trying to lift the weights–which thank god she can’t lift. Grunting, trying to lift them up.

What advice would you give to other mothers during this time?

Shaniqua: I mean, what advice. [chuckles] They should talk to their children. Don’t try to shield them from the world. Talk to them with honesty and let them know what’s happening. Depending on how old the child is, they’re going to learn it one way or another. That would be my advice, to talk to you children, to give them information, even if it’s negative. It’s better that they hear it from you rather than hear it from the streets or elsewhere.

Alix: I think be easier on yourself, be easy with the routines as I alluded to before. Let them stay up too late sometimes. They’ll sleep in later and you can sleep in too! Don't get too obsessed with the plans and the schedules and just rock out. I think there’s going to be so much that we understand in hindsight about this virus and viruses in general. But I wish that in the beginning someone told me, and I guess maybe people didn’t know and it was right to be so cautious, but that it’s ok to see your family. Yes, keep your circle small, be mindful of who we’re spending time around–or not who but how many people and what the environment is like.

Unica: Like I said, I just hope that they’re keeping them entertained. I want to say don’t let this coronavirus get to you and don’t let it kill you. But live your life as well and have them live they life. Don’t have them stuck at home and always worried and concerned. As long as you are keeping your children safe and protected. Let them go outside, let them be a kid. Wear a mask, bring the hand sanitizer and everything. Just be productive. It’s also ok if you’re in a park and there’s no one around you–to me, when there’s no one around us, I let Jace take his mask off and breath. It’s hard. It's hard. You have to talk to them eventually and let them know what’s going on in this world, but you can’t keep them trapped either. You have to give them a little bit of freedom.

. . .

OE

Gypsy Den Studio

Strong

Carol Jeong

Love letter to a house

She hid in a garage and cried out, ‘hurt, help’ so he’d listen

We sat crowded on a comforter

Maybe three of us, or four?

Texting him lies

cheek to cheek, like sisters

In a big rich house

Where the walls were cold, and beautiful

So cool in the summer

to run your fingertips and shoulder blades on

Being ugly, and young, and free,

for so many summers was a privilege

He ignored her

so she decided to lie

and the lie was as true as any other thing

as any small thing

said she woke up in a garage

didn’t remember a thing

​

Laura Hetherington

Harleen

Gypsy Den Studio

Kimberly Celeste