COVID-19 has disrupted every family in America. Here’s how parents can cope.
In a matter of two weeks, it seems life for American families has completely changed. Parents are working from home, and schools are closing, as well as restaurants, coffee shops, and playgrounds. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, life in our country looks very different, and every parent is wondering the same thing: Now what?
This pandemic is unprecedented compared to recent viral outbreaks, such as SARS and Ebola. COVID-19 has now spread across the globe, and the U.S. is cracking down, trying to flatten the curve with rules against gatherings of more than 10 people and the closures of schools and countless businesses in most states. While these precautions are good and necessary, they come at a cost, especially for parents who are now trying to homeschool their children while working from home and only leaving the house to run necessary errands.
While the situation is changing daily, and we don’t know what the future will hold, there are some things you can do now to help ease your fears, anxieties, and cabin fever, even with your entire family in the house all day.
Embrace boredom.
Even though your child might be homeschooling or taking classes online, their sports have been canceled, along with their plays, and music class and time with friends. With this lack of access to activities, they will get bored. But don’t fight it. Embrace it. Boredom is good for kids. It forces them to use their imaginations. It sharpens their sensibilities. And it teaches them how to be comfortable with themselves. Don’t try to fill every minute of your child’s day. Let him figure out what it feels like to be bored and learn how to fill his time productively.