One Parent’s Perspective on Adapting to the Pandemic Who knew the events of 2020 would still be impacting our lives two years later? I’m talking about COVID-19. This world-wide pandemic has altered our environment in a multitude of ways. We went from being carefree and spending time with friends to distancing ourselves, wearing masks, and settling for connecting with others via electronics. We’ve had to adapt, adjust like never before, . . . and constantly! Unfortunately, one of the groups that has been affected the most is parents. The pandemic has been a never-ending crash course in adapting to our new normal as we (parents) have had to take on additional roles in the home.
When COVID-19 was at its peak - and I say this hoping the worst is over - schools and businesses closed, forcing parents to work from home while homeschooling their kids, feeding their families, and keeping their sanity. We often focus on the impact situations have on our kids, but rarely do we address the impact they have on us as adults. In the midst of the pandemic, parents like myself found ourselves adding new titles to our long list of duties. Remote Employees. Homeschooled Teachers. Tutors. Safety Monitors. Sanity Keepers.
Forced to work from home, we (parents) had to pivot to learn how to transfer the work we did everyday in an office to at home remotely. On top of that, we had to adapt to working alongside our kids as they learned to navigate remote learning. Many parents made the hard choice to homeschool their children full time, while others settled for the hybrid approach. This may not seem like a big deal, but some parents found their new normal overwhelming. Parents who were used to going into an office everyday to work and socialize now found themselves staring at the same four walls day in and day out. Those same parents often had to alternate working with helping their children sign on remotely (Some had specific times they had to sign on.) and/or flat out teaching the lesson of the day. Not everyone is a multitasker or a teacher. Some
thrive
off
of
social
interactions
and
working
remotely,
curbing
their
creativity/productivity.
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