Parents Are Still Struggling

In the beginning, it was only supposed to be a few weeks of lockdown to flatten the curve. Then, a few weeks became a few months. Now, here we are, a year and a half later and the pandemic is still disrupting our lives.

Parents are struggling…

School shutdowns, hybrid, remote, quarantines…  the inconsistency has been stressful. For parents who work full or part time, the disruptions can be even more daunting. 

With summer came a little more relief…. cases were down, in some parts of the country many adults were vaccinated. But, then the Delta variant came raging through, raising fears once again.

Now that the 2021 school year has started…

We’d been looking forward to this all summer. Maybe things weren’t completely “normal”, but we knew enough about COVID safety that schools were going to re-open in person, finally giving kids and parents some consistency. 

But then there were mask battles and out-of-control school board meetings and massive outbreaks that sent thousands of kids back home. Again.

What’s next?

The only thing we know for sure is that no one knows for sure. The recent FDA approval of the COVID vaccine for children under 12 does offer some hope. If enough children get vaccinated, schools can be open more consistently. Unfortunately, if the past is any indicator, there will remain a large percentage of kids who are unvaccinated.

What can we do?

While there isn’t much we can do about the big picture, there are things we can do to take care of ourselves and our children.  

Acknowledge the stress

First of all, just recognizing that we’re struggling is an important step. Now is the time to practice good self care and seek out therapy for both you and your child if necessary.

Find a support group

Seeking out activities that you can enjoy while being covid safe is a great way to meet other like-minded community members. Also, look for after school activities for your children that focus on community building, such as Afterschool Village.

Accentuate the positive

Yes, there is a lot of negativity right now. But, there is also so much good. Almost 55% of Americans are vaccinated, the FDA just approved the booster shot for older adults and those with compromised immune systems, and vaccines for kids under 12 should be out in weeks. 

All of this means that most of us can find ways to safely spend time with our family and friends again.

While we still have a long way to go, thinking about the positives, like being able to be with our family for the holiday season this year, can help give us the motivation to deal with the inevitable setbacks.