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Parenting Pandemic Nightmare

Parenting Pandemic Nightmare

Admin July 26, 2021

With the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting normal work life, it has also affected family life across the world. It’s especially tougher for parents with young children who are grappling with an ever-changing normal – school closures, ensuring a strict sanitization routine, working remote, physical distancing — it’s a lot to navigate for everyone. This often leads to the escalation of stress and anxiety.

No doubt as adults we try our best to stay strong for our kids but sometimes constant worry does bog us down too. Those are the times, we need to center ourselves and remember that though the virus may not be in our control, but what is in our grasp is the anxiety and we can adopt various means to cope.

The mental health of parents plays a big role in the emotional well-being of their children. Toddlers need a safe place, a constant in the form of emotionally available parents, who will remain strong and continue to reassure them. Children are extremely sensitive to concerns and moods of adults at home. However much you try, you cannot shield them from the enormity of the impact and fear of the pandemic. What is important here is that they see their parents as pillars of strength and reassurance.

It is our responsibility as parents to make our home environment such that it helps our children to feel hopeful about the future.

Also, school closures have taken a toll on children’s mental well-being and holistic development with the added responsibilities to parents who are have to deal helping their children with online classes. These are stressful times for parents as they have to balance personal life, work, and parenting in total confinement. Some families have been severely affected by the disease with sometimes one or both parents are quarantines with children coping by themselves.

So today let’s take a quick look at some parenting challenges during the pandemic times and how to overcome them-

1) Struggling with schedules
With everyone at home, normal schedules have been disrupted which is rather unsettling.

Solution: Create structure; Establish routines

Structure and routine are always comforting. Routines help families cope with stress better and be more resilient. It’s important that you establish some ground rules aimed at keeping your kid’s mind and body active. Healthy habits help children feel safe, especially during times of stress. Have regular sleeping and waking times and exercise daily, with outdoor breaks that follow physical distancing. What you are doing here is establishing as much normalcy as possible.

2) No Alone Time
It can get a bit suffocating sometimes with all the togetherness. It’s okay to want some space sometimes.

Solution: Balance is the key
It’s important to create space for each family member to spend some solo time to recharge. It can be some quiet reading or an activity such as your hobby or even playing online games and talking to friends. Don’t worry if you can’t concentrate or let housekeeping standards slide. During this stressful time, it’s important to go easy on your children and yourself. As caregiver you should take care of yourself physically like eating healthy, exercising and getting enough sleep. Also take turns watching your children with your partner.

3) Overwhelmed with Media
Information is power but too much of the same negative news can prove to be overwhelming.

Solution: Manage Media Consumption
Don’t try to cover up what’s going on It’s important that your kids are aware of the seriousness of the issue and maintain proper Covid protocol. Discuss issues in simple, supportive and appropriate ways. Answer their queries and try to reassure them in all ways possible. Stop over-exposure to media and frequently updating news feeds.

4) Helping an immunocompromised child
Immunocompromised children may feel even more stressed about the situation.

Solution: Focus on the Positives
Focus on the factors within your control, like healthy hygiene and social distancing. Constant reassurance is very essential. Keep his/her routine as normal as possible.

5) Keeping Kids Engaged
Staying home all day can cause anxiety for introverts, while extroverts may feel lonely.

Solution: Keep them occupied and busy
You can easily overcome this challenge in innovative and engaging ways.
Try to build social connections through screen time- you can get your kid to video chat with friends and extended family once a week. Arrange for a dance or picnic party for your child and his/her friends online. Mix this up with fun projects in the house which can involve other family members too. Read out to them – introduce your kids to the world of books.

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