• Apr 29, 2020

Helping juggling parents during COVID-19

COVID-19 has changed all of our lives. If you’re a parent of school-aged children, you may feel an extra burden of stress and anxiety.

Overnight, you are teachers, counselors and health educators while nurturing your families. You may also be juggling other work responsibilities or struggling to make ends meet after losing your job. It’s an enormous burden, but you’re not alone. Here are a few ideas to help you get through each day.

Take care of yourself

• Developing and sharing healthy coping strategies is important for your own sanity. It’s also great for kids to learn from you as you model self care. Meditation and mindfulness can help. You can even do this as a family.
• Schedules are helpful but should be flexible to give everyone important downtime. Here’s how a local parent helps their family be productive and find meaning: something for your brain, your body, your spirit and for someone else.
• Try to limit alcohol use so you can sleep better.

Keep your family safe

Play dates with friends, unless virtual, are not a good idea.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) provides a great checklist here for individuals and families on safe practices during the pandemic. Make hand washing fun with these tips.

Helpful Resources:

• Free internet to qualified customers.
• Need groceries? Check out CHA Connect for local food resources. Also, you may be eligible for WIC or SNAP to support your family. Contact your children’s school for more information about school lunches.
• Relief Funds: Massachusetts Jobs for Justice can help you access Emergency Relief Funds, regardless of immigration status.
• For immigrants: CHA’s immigration resource page offers links to many resources to help undocumented immigrants. No matter your immigrant status you should seek treatment if you need care.

Useful Parental Resources

• Having a hard time? Try the Parental Stress Line for support.
• These days, fear and anxiety are shared national emotions and it can be hard to talk to your children in ways that are both reassuring and honest.
  • Check out this comic for talking with kids under 7 about coronavirus. It’s available in many languages.
  • William James College has a range of parenting resources in one convenient place.
  • The National Association of School Psychologists and the PBS channel offer ways to talk with your child about the COVID-19 Pandemic without being scary.
  • The World Health Organization (WHO) offers tips on a variety of topics in dozens of languages.

Disclaimer
This articles provide general information for educational purposes only. The information provided in this article, or through linkages to other sites, is not a substitute for medical or professional care, and you should not use the information in place of a visit, call consultation or the advice of your physician or other healthcare provider.