COVID & Parenting

Mommy & Me

The past four months have been beyond challenging for most families. Not only have schools, camps, museums, bookstores, and any other family resource been canceled, but for many of us, we have also had to embark on a whole new adventure all about self-regulation and self-entertaining. Yes, it is effortless to stick your child in front of the TV or Ipad and say well there is nothing else todo. There are many days that this is very alluring. However, how healthy is it for our children?

It is entirely understandable that this situation is very challenging for parents. We still have to work, take care of the house, cook, and handle all the other stresses in front of us. If anything, COVID has taught many of us how to become the ultimate multi-taskers. It has become all about mental survival if you ask me. Mental and emotional endurance to stay positive above all the madness and influx of information that is constantly thrown at us.

As a parent that has become increasingly worried about how all this is affecting my 7-year-olds emotional development, I have taken it upon myself to create our own healthy, well rounded, responsible environment. We make sure to go outside every day and take part in some type of physical activity, it can be bike riding, playing ball, or simply going for a walk and discovering something new around the house.

We have also become very fond of board games! Yes, with all the rain we have seen these past few months, board games have kept us away from the TV and interacting with one another. We still take an hour out of the day to maintain our reading, writing, and math skills fresh. We also read every afternoon and at night before going to bed. Cooking is a must, and it has become a family activity, with my son learning to help in the kitchen. He has also started to learn to help with chores around the house.

Responsibility for your own things is a must during this time when we are home so often. As a whole, there has been a lot of growing up happening throughout these past months. We have learned to be more present, to be more responsible, to be more active, and to help one another.

COVID is genuinely about working together, at home and outside the home. Does my son have his screen time? Yes, of course! But it is minimal, and it only happens if everything else has been done. I have also had to learn to minimize my own screen time. As adults, many of us are now bound to our cell phones and social media. I have been trying to lead by example and allow my son to see that we both need a little time to breathe the fresh air, read, learn something new, and take care of one another.

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