Parenting in a pandemic is a whole new experience for everyone with children. With all routines out the window and normal plans like sports teams, creative classes or even trips to museums or the zoo unavailable, parents are stuck entertaining children with limited time and limited resources. Parents who work from home are suddenly nannies and teachers on top of their normal work normal responsibilities, and that’s not easy for anyone.
It’s also hard to explain to children what’s going on. Discussing tough topics, like getting sick or dying, isn’t easy to navigate, especially when illness hits close to home. Children also struggle to understand things like why they need to wear a mask, why their youth sports leagues were canceled, or why they can’t see their friends. This puts added pressure on parenting, creating problems parents never saw coming.
When added to the other stressors brought on by the pandemic, it’s completely understandable that mental health may start to slide.