Bored Panda reached out to Anita Cleare, a parenting expert and author of "The Work/Parent Switch", who agreed to share her insights on parenting during these uncertain times. Because we’re all trying to make it work at home, in reality, things are not going as smoothly as we’d like them to.
Anita said that for many people, “Not knowing what is going to happen is really stressful. And it makes it hard to plan and get organized—something that working parents desperately need to do in order to meet all our commitments.”
Since there are no givens about what will or won’t happen in the next few months, many parents find themselves in a nerve-wracking situation. “Schools might be open but they could close at a moment’s notice. That day out with her friends that your daughter is looking forward to? It might be canceled, who knows,” the parenting expert explained.
Anita also said that parents are used to controlling the controllables and making the world safe and fun for our kids. However, right now, there is so much we can’t control. “The only way to get through this is to focus on what we can control, the little things. Small routines and traditions that we do every day or every week with our kids to make them feel safe.”
Anita suggests starting small. “Like always saying goodnight to them using the same words. Making pancakes together on a Saturday morning. Playing a family board game on a Sunday afternoon. Snuggling up for a story together every evening.”
When the big stuff is out of control, “focusing on the little things that make a big difference will make us all a lot calmer, and we will be able to support our children to feel more secure too,” the parenting expert concluded.
