“Parents: It’s okay.
It’s okay if this pandemic is throwing off your parenting style.
Crises tend to do that. Mary Katharine Ham, a writer and CNN commentator, knows firsthand: She lost her spouse, and her identity as a parent, in 2015, while pregnant with their second child.
“The good news is that the parent you are today is not the parent you have to be tomorrow,” she advises. “Your parenting identity is not nearly as intransigent as your pants-less, potty-training toddler.”
It’s also okay to take breaks and care for yourself.
Actually, it’s not just okay; it’s crucial: “Amid all the concern about their children’s emotional health,” our Dear Therapist columnist, Lori Gottlieb, notes, “parents tend to forget that the most important thing they can do is take care of their own emotional health.”
Read the full article by Caroline Mimbs Nyce for more tips on parenting during the COVID-19 Pandemic and how to talk to your kids about the outbreak.