Parenting is tough. Even in the best of times. Parenting through Crisis is tougher.
We’ve collected some resources to help you get a grasp on how you can help your kids and yourselves during this stressful, overwhelming and isolating time.
Here are some practical ways to help our kids during our current crisis. Get your FAQs about COVID-19 answered, learn about local cancellations and closings and find resources for talking with our kids about the pandemic.
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Stuck at home with nowhere to go can feel eternal. Especially with little kids. Never fear – we are here to help with our Family Boredom Busters Guide. Indoor and outdoor games and activities, craft ideas, science experiments and an events calendar listing all kinds of virtual ways to connect with the community.
And the mandatory school shut downs…we’ve got tips, tricks, and ideas for your family for schooling at home.
Resources for Talking with our Kids about COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
Parenting Through Crisis Now: 10 Things to Do Right Now
According to experts, there are some things we can do to help our kids through stressful times right now. We are not experts, but these 10 basics are things we felt we could incorporate into our own lives right now:
- Create Structure with A Daily Schedule.
You don’t have to be extreme with this, the key to good routines is compromise and constant adjustment. However, staring now with some sort of daily routine will help everyone feel a little more normal. Get into some habits that work for your family and adjust as needed. Hey, we’re parents. We’re used to the need for constant adjustment. Part of every daily schedule should: - Keep Regular Bedtimes, But Maybe Let Everyone Sleep In A Little
Sleep is one of the best cures for stress. So, while its tempting to let everyone stay up a little later for “one more show”. Regular bedtimes may be necessary for your child’s health. If they want to sleep a bit longer, the extra sleep will be good for everyone. Regular bedtimes are also essential so you can: - Take Care of Yourself
Healthy parents are important for healthy kids. We need proper rest, nutrition and downtime. After the kids are in bed, maybe the grown ups could have a healthy snack together as part of their own night-time routine. But also, - Practice Relaxing Habits Together
This may be a good time to take up stretching and breathing exercises, family prayer or long and cuddly story times. I’ve taken advantage of a free month of Audible for this month (affiliate link at the bottom of this article), but our local libraries also offer FREE audio books. - Talk With Your Kids, Answer Questions Honestly, And Look Up Answers Together When You Are Unsure
Kids’ imaginations can often be much scarier than our own real life stresses. So, while its hard not to show our own stress in front of our kids, we can at least talk to them honestly and frankly when they have questions and concerns. - Rejoice in the Upside of the Downtime
How many times have I wished our lives were not so busy and complicated. Maybe this wasn’t exactly the way I wanted to get my wish, but here we are with time on our hands. I’m even hoping to get some household organization and decluttering done. Maybe some of this could be incorporated into our lives later. - Take Advantage of Technology
I’m so glad this didn’t happen in the 80s. Our kids are having online classroom discussions, meeting their friends online to watch movies together and generally just able to find information as they need it. Don’t forget to check in on people. But… - Limit Screen Time, Too
While technology is great for information, it isn’t great for our physical and emotional health. Get out in the backyard. Take advantage of parks and trails that remain open. Go for a bike ride. Play with toys. Build, create, practice jokes, play board games. - Practice Good Manners and Social Grace
All this together time can get crazy. Kids fight. Parents lose it. Everyone is a bit on edge. This may be a good time to practice social graces together. “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all” may need to be the motto of the household. - Cultivate Gratitude
Now may be a good time to remember what we are grateful for.
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