Parenting during COVID-19 is often a juggling act of keeping children occupied while working from home and performing all the other daily necessities of family life. At the same time, children may be reacting to stress by acting out or regressing to behaviours long outgrown. Here are some things that may help you cope during this time:
Acknowledge your emotions
It’s normal to feel fearful, anxious or stressed now. Discuss your experiences with relatives and friends or share a laugh - if you can't see loved ones in person, virtual connection or phone calls work too. You can also reach out to professional services and if you need help finding support, chat or call us.
Set boundaries
When your home is your office, gym and everything in between, it's easy for boundaries to blur. To help disconnect, if you have space, create a specific area where you work to create distance. If your child is of school age and you're juggling schoolwork and homework you could try setting up their workspace alongside yours.
Try setting a kitchen timer for 90 minutes and tell children you’ll spend 15 minutes doing something fun with them when the buzzer goes off. When children know the plan, they’re less likely to interrupt your work. Thank your child for allowing you to do your work. Threats, such as loss of screen time, are far less effective.
Share responsibilities
If there’s another parent or caregiver in your home, negotiate child-care shifts. You might take the morning shift and have the afternoon "off", which will allow you to have time for yourself or to get other household duties done.
Practice self-care
You—and everyone else in your family—need alone time every day. Take a walk, enjoy a long shower or just sit in your car. If you can’t get away physically, put in earbuds and practice mindfulness meditation via your phone.
This is a challenging time so don't forget to practice self-compassion - it’s important to go easy on your children and yourself.
If you have any questions or need extra support, we're here to help you anytime, in any language. Simply start a chat with us via the home screen of the Sonder app.
Information sourced from: American Psychological Association
Image credit: Paul Hanaoka on Unsplash
All content is created and published for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice.