The pandemic and the subsequent stay-at-home orders have changed a lot for families around the world, including people who aren’t used to getting work done with their little ones right by their side.

America Ferrera recently spoke about her life in 2020, which included adjusting to this new normal. In May, she welcomed the newest addition to her family, a daughter, Lucia Marisol, who joins her 2-year-old son Sebastian “Baz” Piers. For the star, it’s been difficult to balance life as a mother of two young children while also trying to accomplish her goals during the work day.

“Oh my goodness, it‘s a world’s difference,” Ferrera told PEOPLE. “Everything’s been so compounded by the pandemic and by quarantine, and truly not being able to have the extended network of family and friends that one would normally have when you bring a new baby home to hold the baby and give you a break or to help.”

“My son went everywhere with me, she continued. “I went back to work when he was only 10 weeks old and I would hand him to like a camera grip. I’d be like, ‘You hold him. I’ve got to go over here.’”

Of course, because of these circumstances, the 36-year-old is raising her daughter in a different environment than she did with her first-born. Ferrera when on to say that her son grew up used to being surrounded by people, which he “loved,” and she‘s hoping her daughter eventually grows to be comfortable around a lot of people, too.

“Whenever there is an occasion for a new face, she just bursts into tears,” she says. ”She doesn’t know what to do with new faces, so hopefully she’s young enough that this will all start to get better before it can really start to stick with her.”

Even with all of this on her plate, America knows how to look on the bright side, remaining focused on the positive aspects of having the family quarantine together at home.

“I could never have imagined that we would be growing the family in this circumstance, but it‘s also been wonderful because it has forced us to to really just spend time as a family of four and really get our rhythm of just being our little family,” she said. “As challenging as the year has been, I think there will be a lot of fond memories of this time of really having to slow down and take the time to be together and sink into family life.”