| We're coming down to the wire at my house, finally about to send our kids to in-person school. The rising 9th-grader hasn't really been back since March 2020. His brother, going into 6th grade, was in person part-time for a portion of last year. And I've been working from home, along with my husband. (And the dog – she counts too, right?) All of that to say it's been a lot of togetherness. When I think about the boys finally getting back into their worlds, I am relieved, grateful, thrilled. Though a part of me is also anxious and sad. It's often been great being around them in this unprecedented way. We have new ways of communicating, I understand them more and, frankly, it was nice not having the extra stress of all of us running around nonstop. So this piece by Caitlin Gibson about parents who are aching from that separation anxiety hits me in all the ways. One mother spoke what I'm feeling: "I don't want to say I looked at this time as a gift, because it was a terrible thing that happened, and if I could have chosen, I would have chosen for them to have last year, their sports, their friends. But at this age, your kids are moving away from you. And so it was a period of closeness that I wouldn't have gotten otherwise." Caitlin's piece kicks off a week of articles from On Parenting writers about heading back to school in such an unprecedented time. Phyllis Fagell today, for instance, writes about how to help our kids transition back after so much time at home or hybrid school. It's advice I'm paying close attention to after seeing how rankled my boys get when they sit down to do their summer reading projects. (One of them is currently working on his journal entry and sighing LOUDLY behind me.) It's not going to be an easy walk back into school, but hopefully, these articles will help you as much as I feel they're helping me. If nothing else, it brings me some comfort to know I'm not alone. Don't forget to ask parenting coach and author Meghan Leahy any question about parenting right now. She will try to answer tomorrow at 11, during her online chat. Perspective ● By Meghan Leahy and Amy Joyce ● Read more » | | | |
Parenting in a Pandemic These are challenging times for any parent to navigate. Let On Parenting help. Below you'll find a selection of expert advice and personal stories for all types of parents. To keep up with The Post's best advice for living through a lockdown, including recipes to make, shows to watch, the best socializing apps, resources for parents, guidance for managing anxiety and tips for canceled trips, bookmark Your Life at Home. And the latest on school reopenings can be found on The Post's Education page. For vaccinated parents with unvaccinated kids | Vaccinated adults may have more freedom. But for kids, 'the rules haven't changed.' For parents dealing with virtual school | Strategies to improve distance learning | Tips for creating a good learning environment at home | How parents can avoid anxiety around distance learning For parents dealing with in-person school | How to help children adjust to masks, according to experts and parents | As kids move from quarantine to school, separation anxiety may follow. Here's how to help. For parents working from home | 6 strategies for parents struggling with work-from-home interruptions For parents looking ahead to post-pandemic life | The pandemic changed everything about family
life. These are the parts parents want to keep. |
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