In the Army, they called it “a case of the Mondays.” Some soldiers would always struggle on the first day back from the weekend until they readjusted to the grind of the work week.
Jewish life can inoculate one, to a certain extent, from developing “the Mondays.” After all, we greet the return of the week on Saturday night with havdalah, making Monday just a transition to work. But, in the world of COVID, that transition has, especially for parents, become abrupt and jarring—even for those who carefully observe Shabbat. After all, supervising schoolwork, settling arguments, changing diapers, and preparing meaningful (but safe) physical fitness and leisure activities is not exactly an ideal work environment.
Unfortunately, our tradition does not provide answers for parenting during the pandemic—but thankfully, it offers some sense of perspective. The daily blessings that begin each shacharit, our morning prayers, ask us to acknowledge and give thanks for the many blessings we enjoy, blessings that can be easy to forget when suffering from a case of COVID Mondays. From our freedom to our vision, from our locomotion to our souls, the morning blessings remind us of the many miracles we enjoy each day, even for those of us staring down another week of pandemic parenting.
— Rabbi Josh Knobel