What Type of Mum Are You?
I’m scrolling through my social media, wearing my elastic-waisted trousers, and I’m noticing a pattern: There are a few distinct “types” of mums who navigate quarantine life. These mums who are quarantined have found unique ways to cope, whether they’re juggling toddlers or homeschooling, or working, or just trying to get through the long days.
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You may recognize a part of yourself in any of these. Maybe you are a mix of several. You’ll either meet or become one of these quarantine mums as you endure the iso storm.
1. Wanda the Wash-a Lot
Wanda’s laundry is no longer just about doing the washing. It has become her second job. Wanda’s laundry load has increased exponentially with everyone in the house 24/7. The mountain of clothing keeps growing. School uniforms, sweatpants, and sports kits are just a few of the piles.
Wanda is often found doing load after load of laundry between Zoom meetings and work calls. In her home office, the washer and dryer are humming like a constant background sound. The laundry is never fully done despite her best efforts. The clothes are folded, and then — somehow — they get lost again. She gives up on opening drawers and instead digs through her family’s “clean” pile of laundry to find socks.
Wanda wishes that her family would be more responsible for putting away clothes, but she realizes it is a losing fight. She shares her frustration with friends like Zoe, from Yoga for Mums. Zoe also admitted to having a laundry mountain at the grocery store.
The battle to do the laundry is never-ending, but Wanda keeps going, fuelled by coffee and the hope that tomorrow the pile of washing will shrink.
2. Zoe the Zen
Zoe has embraced quarantine calmly and with an open heart. Zoe sees iso as a gift. It’s a chance for her to slow down, reconnect with her family and herself. There’s no need to rush out the door or keep a frantic schedule. Just stillness.
She is naturally drawn to mindfulness, breathing exercises, and yoga. She posts photos of family moments spent in the garden, or quotes encouraging gratitude and reflection.
Zoe feels awakened. The forced pause she has taken has made her realize how overwhelmed she was by the chaos and clutter of life, both physically and mentally. She is delighted to find out that she does not need as much stuff as she had thought. Her home is less cluttered, and she feels lighter.
Many are inspired by her posts on living slowly and simply. But admittedly, for some mums like Isla, Zoe’s calm, Instagram-perfect moments can be frustrating, or even annoying.
3. Isla The Insane
Isla’s mum is on edge. She is fraying at her seams, and she wonders if anyone can survive the quarantine. Her children are a constant whirlwind, full of energy, noise, and complaining about hunger and boredom. They have her at the edge of her patience.
Homeschooling is a nightmare for her. She also works from home, or at least tries to. What was meant to be an educational and fun break turned quickly into a daily battle.
Isla is often exhausted and overwhelmed by her responsibilities as a teacher, parent, and employee. She is worried about her job and money, which adds more pressure.
Isla is tempted to scream when she sees Zoe post serene photos of her children happily gardening with captions that discuss the social constructs around money. Instead, she pours her much-needed G&T, snaps a picture, and texts the photo to her friend Abbey at work, “Cheers!” We wish we could have this in person.
Isla may feel a little crazy at times, yet she is fighting to stay together. She’s not alone.
4. Abbey the Anxious
Abbey has always worried. Her internal alarms rang loudly when she first heard about the pandemic. She bought essentials like toilet paper, canned tomatoes, and pasta in bulk.
Abbey is not a hoarder. She’s just a mother who wants to be prepared. Her cautious nature was only reinforced by the pandemic. She’s learned how to better manage her anxiety. Her children are used to it.
Abbey feels more secure and in control at home. She finds comfort in knowing where everyone is all the time and enjoys routines and organization.
Abbey envies parents who have homeschooling down pat, especially Cate the Controller. Abbey wishes she were more confident and structured.
She still tackles every day the best she can. She is aware that anxiety can have a double-edged sword, but it can also be used as a tool to increase vigilance.
5. Cate the Controller
Cate is a woman of control. She runs her home like a well-oiled machine — efficient, organized, and detailed.
She has swapped out her power suits in favor of activewear, which she calls her “at-home” power suit. But don’t be fooled by the comfortable clothes — this woman is on top of things.
Cate created a 15-minute homeschooling schedule, shared it with parents, and reorganized her work around lessons and breaks.
She is a Google Classroom expert and regularly updates her social media with photos and videos of the projects that her children are working on.
Fiona is one of the mums who admires Cate but cannot keep up with her schedule.
Cate thrives on the quarantine challenge, proving that planning and a little bit of control can make an otherwise chaotic situation seem manageable.
6. Fiona The Fitness Freak
Fiona’s mission is to come out of quarantine with both a fitter and stronger body. She has overhauled her family’s diet and is now promoting healthy meals.
Even if her kids would rather do something else, they often join in with morning workouts and jogs.
Fiona believes that physical strength is equal to mental strength. She believes that exercising is the best way to keep her family’s spirits high and their bodies healthy during these strange times.
Lola is a completely different story. She’s happy to see the teddy bear on the windows as they walk together for the third time that day. Fiona admires Lola’s ability to let it go, but she’s not quite there yet.
7. Lola Let It Go
Lola decided to let go of expectations to survive quarantine. She is embracing comfort foods, drinking wine when it’s appropriate, and not worrying about housework or shaving her legs.
She is overwhelmed by the weight of this pandemic, with the fear, uncertainty, and loss for her family and friends, but also realizes that she must be compassionate towards herself.
Lola is happy that her kids are doing well, as she is. It’s okay if the house is messy. No one will be coming over, so why stress?
She has chosen peace of mind above perfection, and that is the best choice she can make at this time.
What Kind of Quarantine Mum Are You?
It is not a sprint, but a marathon. All of these are valid. Every mother will have a different experience. You’ll have days when you feel like Wanda drowning in washing. You might also channel Cate or Zoe to calm you down.
You might be a mix of Isla, Abbe, and other characters — anxious and frazzled but trying to do your best. You might be like Fiona, who is chasing fitness goals, or Lola, who embraces self-care with no guilt.
It’s important to survive, adapt, and be there for your family in any way you can. This time will pass, whether you are washing another load of laundry or meditating outside. One day,y you will look back at these days and see how resilient and strong you are.
