27. Parenting During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Jamie is back after a bit of a hiatus, and she hits the ground running by delving into the complexity of parenting during these uncertain times. There is so much going on out there these days, and Jamie is here to offer some strategies which can be implemented immediately to help parents and children alike, and to also remind everyone to be gentle with themselves.   Comparing the response to this pandemic to the stages of grief, Jamie recognizes that a lot of people are in that anger/bargaining stage, and are at risk of becoming overwhelmed by trying to justify things as educational while also learning how to be together in these unique circumstances. In addition, she highlights just how important it is to ensure that children know they are safe, to talk with them about what’s going on in terms they’ll understand, and above all, to make sure that all of you take the time you need to look after your own mental health.   The Finer Details of This Episode:   Justifying things as educational can lead to excessive anxiety Loosening up your usual screen time allowance is okay these days You are not in charge of your child’s education Learn how to be together during this pandemic Children need to know that they are safe, and emotional swaddling is necessary now more than ever Ensure that all family members get some alone time and ‘combination times’ Children need to feel touch and to engage in ‘big play’, especially these days Take some time for yourself to tend to your own mental health Talk about this pandemic with your kids in terms they can understand The story behind Jamie’s hiatus and her new Patreon account   Quotes:   “If you have to work, and you have a child under the age of 5, you have to give them some screen time. It’s a non-solvable problem.”   “You need to tell your child that they are safe, and they are loved, and you are taking care of them.”   “Our kids need us to be taking care of our mental health.”   “Please prioritize yourself.”   Links:   Jamie’s homepage - http://www.jamieglowacki.com/     Oh Crap! Potty Training - https://www.amazon.com/Crap-Potty-Training-Everything-Parenting-ebook/dp/B00V3L8YSU   Oh Crap! I Have A Toddler -  https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Oh-Crap!-I-Have-a-Toddler/Jamie-Glowacki/Oh-Crap-Parenting/9781982109738   Manuela Molina’s COVIBOOK:  https://www.mindheart.co/descargables   Jamie’s Patreon Page:  https://www.patreon.com/join/jamieglowacki?   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices