Essay Sample on Changed Mindset: How Did the Pandemic Affect Families’ Resource Management?

Changed Mindset: How Did the Pandemic Affect Families’ Resource Management?

Most people often say that the ones who will first help you in your lowest times are your family members. They are the ones who will immediately lend you a hand whenever you need comfort, support, or guidance, simply because they love you and they do not want to see you distressed. However, as seen in what happened during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is not just our individual self but our whole family who were placed in a tough situation. There is no doubt that most families, if not all, suffered from the sudden onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, a lot of things surely changed on how families manage each of their resources.

Trying to look into the before and during pandemic management of family resources, I think it is better to assess it based on different viewpoints since not all families had the same situation especially in terms of financial status. Like the phrase which became popular during the pandemic implying that we may be in the same storm but not in the same boat. Other families may be privileged enough to have savings in their bank accounts or buy groceries to stock their fridge with, but there were families that went through a really hard time. One reason could be that the family’s breadwinner lost his or her job, and the family does not have savings because the money that they earned before the pandemic is just enough for their everyday needs and expenses. What added to the burden of these unfortunate or underprivileged families is the transition of traditional work and schooling into the online setup which forced them to buy gadgets and maximize the available space in their homes.

On the other hand, as I try to attempt to see things in a different light, I could say that there were also positive impacts brought by the dilemma of COVID-19. Families learned the importance of savings and emergency funds, ascertained the benefits of being frugal, and improved each of the members’ skills and hobbies. In my personal experience, I tried to use my interest in anime, writing fictional stories, and video editing to make a Youtube channel. There, I uploaded anime fictional chat stories and as a result, I earned money every month that helped provide the needs of my family, especially that my father who is our family’s breadwinner, did not have a proper income during the first few months of the pandemic. I also know some of my friends and acquaintances who became innovative as they tried to use their hobbies to their advantage like baking and cooking, then started selling their products online just to help their families as well. Some people who lost their jobs also started online selling using different gimmicks to attract potential buyers, while others tried to upgrade their skills through free online courses and applied for freelance online jobs after. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the quarantine restrictions that limit people from going outside, families learned to cut costs and minimize their expenses. They also tried to lessen their online shopping especially during a certain time before, when it was announced that parcels which were not disinfected properly could possibly carry COVID-19 when exposed to a person who has the virus (McCallum, 2020). Also, as mentioned by one of my classmates during the discussion last February 14, his family could not help but dismiss their house help to reduce their expenses. Therefore, he and his siblings had to do all the household chores by themselves and even made a list so that they will know which task is assigned to whom. That is one of the examples to illustrate how a family works as a system and how they can help one another even through simple ways.

The COVID-19 pandemic surely made an impact on every family, may it be bad or good. What is clear though is that families learned one of the great lessons the pandemic has taught us: no one is certain of what will happen in the future. In conclusion, it is important to plan for the future and not just live in the present, hence the term YOLO or “You Only Live Once” in these types of situations is not applicable. Teenagers and young adults in families specially grasped the significance of this concept, became aware of the responsibilities that they have as part of their families, and saw how the real world works, helping not just their family but also their future selves.