The Shifting Roles While Sheltering at Home
A couple who didn’t live together decided for the quarantine to move into his apartment with his dog. Do they now share responsibility for taking care of the dog?
Two partners who previously worked at offices are now at home. How do they negotiate the space, and being around each other all the time?
A third couple with several small children and pets. Now everyone’s at home all the time, homeschooling the kids and taking care of the pets while working remotely. They’ve lost their childcare, housecleaner, and dog-walker, at least for the period of the lockdown.
For others, rather than adapting to working remotely there is the threat or actual loss of employment.
These are just a few of the scenarios I’ve heard about as a San Francisco couples therapist since the shelter-in-place order took effect over a week ago. Some might see some of these scenarios as “first world problems.” However, these are mul…