Parenting During the Coronavirus Crisis :: Making Life Work

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Parenting During the Coronavirus Crisis

So here we are in coronavirus quarantine (“coro-tine”) day 1,234,000. We are tired, anxious, a little tipsy, exhausted, and bored. Our kids are now off any routine, they are eating us all out of house and home, and any screen time rules are out the window. Car rides through the neighborhood, to the car wash, and to pick up food is now the new normal.

Parenting during coronavirus crisis . . . Screen time rules went out the window thanks to coronavirus quarantine!

To make matters worse, on Thursday, March 26, we got the news that our children will be out of school for the remainder of the school year. I’ll pause for reaction . . . Now we parents are even more panicky, anxious, hysterical, angry, grateful, confused, and everything else in between. Upon getting the news, so many questions popped up in our heads. How can I work and “homeschool?” How do I even do new age math? Well, I’m here to give some encouraging words.

Things are going to be okay.

We will all find a balance in this new normal–however long it lasts. It may take a few weeks, but balance will come. The more you try to control everything, the worse you are going to make yourself feel. 

The children will learn, and teachers are still here.

There are so many concerns about children and learning in this coronavirus crisis. We, as parents, must realize that children learn in many ways. We can teach our children without sitting them down and stressing about what they are learning. There are teachable moments in taking walks, doing chores, watching t.v. shows, and having conversations. Take some pressure off yourself in thinking that you have to be a school teacher. There are amazing individuals who are still dedicated to teaching our children and ensuring their academic success from afar.

We are the constant in our children’s lives.

A scientist by the name of Maslow developed a pyramid of basic needs for all humans. The second building block of the pyramid is safety. In this time of crisis, this basic need for our children is being compromised. There is safety in stability and consistency. Our children don’t have those now that school and extracurricular activities are taken away. We are that safety net. We can provide consistency, stability, and love for our kids and ourselves in this time of need during the coronavirus crisis.

Parenting during coronavirus crisis; offering safety and stability for our kids during the coronavirus pandemic

Take time for yourself amidst the coronavirus quarantine.

In this time, operating in panic mode is unacceptable! So know, Mama, that it is okay to take extra time for yourself. It is okay to feel anxious, worried, and uncertain. It is okay to tell your child and/or spouse that you need a break. Take time to breathe and replenish yourself. You cannot pour out into others if you are empty. Stay social, have virtual happy hours, take long baths–just take time to yourself.

The fact of the matter is: we do not know when this is going to end. We are winging it day by day. We are all in this coronavirus quarantine together, and we will get through it!