Once upon a time, masks were only really worn by medical professionals, but due to COVID-19, they’ve become mandatory all across America. In fact, many stores around the country won’t even allow shoppers to enter unless they’re wearing a facemask or an alternative face covering.

Medical workers including doctors, nurses, and others working on the front line are constantly reminding the public that they are low on personal protective gear and have begged people who are not medical professionals not to buy or use the N95 masks that they need to be wearing when they’re tending to their COVID-19 patients.

Explaining the coronavirus pandemic to young children is particularly hard, especially when there’s no readily available solution or to offer them solace in regards to why they aren’t able to see their friends. It is at times, truly heartbreaking.

Many high school seniors are struggling with the uneventful and abrupt ending to their school year, without the opportunity to celebrate their senior prom or other senior celebrations, including one of the most important moments of their young lives.

But children with parents who are working on the front line have to deal with a handful of additional concerns. They worry that their mom or dad might never make it home.

Many medical professionals have even decided to take extra precautions and stay in hotel rooms, donated RV’s, and other facilities where they’re not risking the lives of those around them. Those who do return home are making sure to follow a regimented cleaning and disinfecting process to avoid introducing the virus to their loved ones.

Many of these parents who are working on the front lines make a point to pop by their homes to say hello to their children through the front door, and at a distance, of course. In this time, taking on the phone or video chatting has become the replacement for many of us to be in the presence of each other.

Blogger and mother Mary Katherine, or MK for short, has taught her children the importance of facemasks, and particularly how important it is for their father, Ian, to wear them when he’s working at the hospital.

After a FaceTime call with his kids he was left with chills.

“Goodnight, Daddy!”

“Goodnight!”

“I love you, Daddy!”

“I love you, too, Baby Girl!”

“Don’t get coronavirus, Daddy!”

Ethan paused….

“…I love you, sweetie!”

MK then ended the call and began getting her children ready for bed, but the conversation haunted her while her son Benjamin slowly drifted to sleep.

Holland, their sweet daughter, was having a more difficult time adapting to her father’s absence.

Mom was hoping that the FaceTime call would ease Holland’s anxiety, but it seemed to only make it worse. All for one reason…

“Holland, what is it?”

The sweet little one paused to think as she laid in her bed, then turned to face her mother and asked her a heartbreaking question…

“Why wasn’t Daddy wearing his superhero mask?”

MK noticed that Ian had lowered his mask to rest below his chin while he said goodbye to his kiddos, particularly because he wanted his daughter Holland to see his smile.

“You see, Holland’s been needing a LOT of reassurance these days. We have had our fair share of anxiety tummy aches. There has been a lot of crying over weird things, when we all know the ‘weird thing’ isn’t what she’s crying about at all. She’s been wanting to be held, carried and coddled. And I just keep doing everything I can to meet those needs. Sometimes it’s exhausting, because frankly—I am stressed, too.”

But being the amazing mother that she is, Mary Katherine has focused her energy on taking care of her little ones through this difficult time. The little ones aren’t just sad about the state of the world, they’re also sad that their father works a dangerous job.

Mary Katherine’s response was to snuggle with Holland to wait while the worried little girl one fell asleep.

“You don’t need to worry about your Daddy. He’s a superhero. You know that.”

Holland’s eyes filled with tears as she turned to her mom.

“But even superheroes have to wear their masks.”

The uncertainty that exists in the world has created a lot of fear for little ones around the globe, and they’re relying on their parents to keep them extra safe during this time.

Michelle Leukhardt Holton’s daughter became worried when she saw people without their masks on, she wrote the following on Facebook.

“We went for a walk on a trail yesterday wearing our masks. We were the only ones there wearing masks. At one point, my youngest daughter knelt down by a tree and started praying. ‘Why are you praying, Baby?’ I asked her. ‘I’m praying that those people won’t give anyone coronavirus.’ Then she got mad and was shouting at them from a distance that they needed masks. We went home.”

Although little ones perceive their parents as superheroes, the real superheroes are in fact the people on the front lines who are wearing masks.

Send blessings to Holland’s dad Ian and all the other people working on the front line right now. We hope, with all our hearts, that they’re allowed to return home soon.

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Source: Spotlight, Flickr