PANDEMIC PARENTING

8WAYS TO MAKE CHANGES FOR LASTING IMPROVEMENTS

By Tyler Drouet, MA, Ed.S. No one ever claimed parenting was easy, but throw in a worldwide pandemic and what was once a small hitch now feels like an epic challenge. We can no longer keep on doing what we’ve always done and get the results we want. School closures, work changes, social distancing and more combine to impact parenting in unprecedented ways. But, what if instead of derailing parenting, the pandemic could prompt us to make key choices that will not only benefit us in the short term, but actually yield meaningful and lasting changes? Read on to find out the crucial

Just as stress levels can cause your own behavior to be less than ideal, stress can also cause your children to act out. Keep this in mind as you deal with your children and yourself.

changes you can make for lasting improvements.

Acknowledge feelings and fears.

It's easy to gloss over children’s fears, but moving quickly past them won’t make them magically disappear. While you may be able to shield your children from some aspects of COVID-19, the pervasiveness of the situation means even young children are aware of how dramatically their world has changed. Address fears by having open, age-appropriate dialogue with your children. Their disappointment about no birthday parties or missing Grandma is just as big in his world as your worries are to you. Simply