In conversation
Alyssa Payton speaks with her seven-year-old son Dylan about adjusting to changes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Transcript
Alyssa: How did you feel when you learned that we would no longer be able to go back to school?
Dylan: I was sad because I would miss all my friends.
Alyssa: What do you know about coronavirus?
Dylan: That it makes people sick and it’s some type of disease.
Alyssa: Yeah, it’s really, really scary. And that’s kind of the reason why we had to start being at home so much. What are some things that we’ve done to make sure that we’re safe?
Dylan: When we went places, we wore a mask. Staying away from other people that we don’t know.
Alyssa: Yeah. And some people that we know —
Dylan: Because we don’t know what they’ve been around.
Alyssa: Yeah, that’s true. Do you have any worries about coronavirus?
Dylan: When I go places around like a lot of people, it makes me scared ’cause I don’t want to catch coronavirus. And that’s why I try to keep up with my sisters at other places so they don’t catch it either.
Alyssa: And then Dorian’s really small.
Dylan: So we can’t really go anywhere ‘cause if we’re trying to change him, we can’t let him lay on the stuff that we don’t know if other people’s babies went on.
Alyssa: Yeah, ‘cause there could be germs, right?
Dylan: Yeah. How does it feel working at the school?
Alyssa: Yeah, so right now I’m working at school and home. Being at school is scary because I don’t want to catch coronavirus and give it to you guys. But as long as I’m wearing my mask and practicing social distancing, I think I’ll be fine.
I think the hard part is when Mommy just needs time for herself to just —
Dylan: To do work?
Alyssa: Well, not even to do work — to just relax and not think about being a mommy or being a wife or being an assistant principal at work. I just want to be somewhere asleep or resting. So sometimes it’s really hard because we’re all in the space together all the time.
Dylan: How does it feel having kids?
Alyssa: Lord Jesus, I love y’all a whole whole lot. It’s really fun, but sometimes it’s tiring because it’s a lot to do after four kiddos.
Dylan: ‘Cause we make you a lot of tired.
Alyssa: Yeah you make me tired. You guys need a lot. How do you feel about being a big brother?
Dylan: Good. When I need some help, then my sisters can come. Or when Dorian gets older, he can come.
Alyssa: Yeah. Or when they need help, you can help them. You like to play with them. Y’all are always wrestling and pretending.
Dylan: And running around the house.
Alyssa: And running around the house—you are absolutely correct. What would you want to do when things get back to normal?
Dylan: What are some fun places in Florida?
Alyssa: Oh, there’s lots of fun stuff to do. There are lots of beaches, there’s Disney. When things get back to normal, then maybe we can go.
Dylan: We can go.
