Parent Partnerships
Staying the course in COVID times
COVID-19 continues to test us in ways that were unimaginable at the start of 2020. It’s becoming the defining event of this generation and a reference point for decades to come. We’ve had depression kids, war kids and now we have COVID-19 kids.
The impact of COVID-19 is felt differently across the country. Currently, Victoria is in Stage 4 lockdown while other states are on high alert. Not every student is working from home but most students are COVID conscious, knowing that they’re only a corona cough or virus-filled hug away from remote learning.
Encouraging kids to stay the course when they’ve been denied access to the classroom, peers and community activities is now a common parenting challenge. Denial is generally tolerable in the short term but the novelty of changed circumstances soon wears off. The following strategies will assist both parents and kids to stay the COVID long course:
Accept difficult emotions
‘There’s nothing so bad that we can’t talk about it, but there are behaviours that we won’t accept’ is a mantra that serves families well. It’s okay for children to feel frustrated, annoyed, angry or upset about their change of circumstances due to the pandemic but that doesn’t give them permission to behave disrespectfully, miss school requirements or fail to assist at home. It helps if parents validate how their children feel, then encourage them to focus on fulfilling school and family expectations.
Encourage acceptance
Some children and young people will protest the COVID induced changes that have been imposed upon them. In some respects, it may be admirable for children to push for a better deal but the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic means that the individual needs to bend toward the greater community good. This is simply a case of accepting and making the best of the situation at hand.
Take it one day and week at a time
On family bushwalks my young children would rarely complain when the tracks were windy. The complaint levels rose when paths were long and straight as the finish line seemed such a long way off. In a similar vein during our current times it’s smart to keep kids focused on getting through each day and week rather than look too far ahead. Six weeks of Stage 4 may seem intolerable, so it’s better to focus on getting through each day and week.
Be the hope person
Help children and young people understand that they will get through difficult times. “This too shall pass” is perhaps the most apt meme for our times. If your hope bucket is emptying out, seek out positive friends and relatives who can top it up. Our own resilience needs nurturing if we are to last the distance.
The internal parenting manual that guides us probably doesn’t include chapters dealing with remote learning, lack of peer interaction and kids’ disappointment. Most of us are treading new parenting ground so it’s best to be open to change, accepting of difficulties and forgiving of inevitable parenting stumbles.
Upcoming Webinar for Parents
Our school has a membership with Parenting Ideas. As part of this membership, you can attend the upcoming webinar ‘Teaching young people about healthy relationships’ at no cost.
About
In this webinar Collett Smart gives parents the tools to build a strong relationship with their child where no topic is off-limits and they can come to them with any questions.
When
9 September 2020 8:00pm AEST
To redeem
- Click this link: https://www.parentingideas.com.au/parent-resources/parent-webinars/webinar-teaching-young-people-about-healthy-relationships
2. Click ‘Add to cart’
3. Click ‘View cart’
4. Enter the voucher code HEALTHY and click ‘Apply Coupon’ Your discount of $37 will be applied.
5. Click ‘Proceed to checkout’
6. Fill in your account details including our school’s name to verify your eligibility. These are the details you will use to login to your account and access your webinar and resources
7. Click ‘Place Order’
This offer is valid until 9 December 2020. If you’re unable to make the broadcast time, just register anyway and you will get access to the recording. The recording will be available in your Parenting Ideas dashboard so you can refer to it at anytime.