PANDEMIC PARENTING: THE NEW NORMAL

It's 8 a.m., my toddler jumps out of bed and run towards the front door of our apartment.  The first thing she does when she wakes up?  Plead with me to take her outside... This is her 25th day inside.  This is our new normal.

In the Bronx, New York we are in one of the COVID-19 virus hot spots.  There was a brand new playground built in my neighborhood and I had gotten into the habit of taking my daughters to the park in the early afternoon to help tire them out before bed.  I no longer have that option.  And I'm not the only parent forced to alter their parenting  routine due to the spread COVID-19 and the current pandemic.

If you've been living under a rock (I kid) here's a link to more information about the virus, COVID-19.  I refuse to get into virus statistics and such, as writing this article is triggering enough...

Just based off the posts I've seen other parents share to my Facebook feed, I know I'm not the only one struggling.  But to be intentional for the sake of this article, I decided to conduct my own research.

Social isolation for parents means so much more than keeping your distance from others and staying indoors.  For many it means a strain on mental health, as many parents feel they have to stay informed about the COVID-19 virus to keep their children safe. 

LET'S TALK NUMBERS

70% of parents I surveyed, reported feeling well informed about the COVID-19 pandemic.  However, many report still feeling vulnerable to contracting the COVID-19 virus despite taking the necessary precautions suggested by the Center for Disease Control. 

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How are you supposed to focus on arts & crafts when the feeling of impending dread is just outside your window?  A bit dramatic? Maybe, but for some parents this is their reality.  With 40% of parents surveyed, report the constant media coverage of the COVID-19 virus having an affect on their mental health. When you factor in some parents having existing mental health issues (40% reported they do), this added stress is bound to affect their parenting.
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But the relationship between parents and their children isn't the only one being affected.  According to the New York Times article, "A New Covid-19 Crisis: Domestic Abuse Rises Worldwide", the author claims the movement restrictions in place to stop the  spread of the virus is leading to violence in homes being "more frequent, more severe, and more dangerous".

Parents aren't getting along with their partners, parents aren't getting along with their children.  "Intimate Terrorism" is new preferred term to domestic violence.  The article correlates the connection between spending more time at home together and the rise of intimate terrorism.

SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR OUR CHILDREN?

Some children are now faced with the difficulties of balancing unstable home life with distance learning.  Younger children are now living in circumstances that make them more vulnerable to abuse.  So how do you protect your child? I don't know.  All of this is uncharted territory.  During these times, many of us are just focused on survival.  But once this passes, like outbreaks eventually do, what will your child's quality of life look like?  What will their new new-normal look like?

My #MomMantra has always been to raise my children in a way that they don't have to heal from their childhoods.  I'm all about breaking generational curses.  So today, I am going to paint with my daughters.  I'm going to try to not to raise my voice when my daughter knocks her sister off the coach.  I'm going to love up on my children.  I'm going to do my best, I suggest you do the same...

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SOURCES:
Taub, Amanda. “A New Covid-19 Crisis: Domestic Abuse Rises Worldwide.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 6 Apr. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/04/06/world/coronavirus-domestic-violence.html.
(​Read the article here)

take the PANDEMIC PARENTING SURVEY