I’ve avoided the subject of pandemic parenting as I think there is so much chat on the topic that we’ve become numb to it. Unfortunately with Australia in the thick of the pandemic again it’s unavoidable, and a year on from the first major lockdown our lives have changed. Kids are older, we’re older, we’re wiser, we’re tired and we’re numb too. There’s a sense of “here we go again”; but also a sense of we know what to do, we did it last year and we can do it again. I think deep down we can all appreciate the downtime with our families even when we feel like it’s Groundhog day.
In our house the difference this year is both boys have at least 2 days at childcare. They will continue to go for so many reasons, the main reason being their routine. They’re already missing swimming, playdates and time with family so keeping them at preschool is a constant that we want for them. Plus it tires them out which is my number one goal every day! Their energy levels on the weekends have risen, who knew a half hour of swimming on a weekend would take so much out of them?!
This time we as parents are wiser, we know how to keep our sanity and how to keep our anxiety levels under control as we know these things can have a negative effect on the boys. The boys need stability and if we as parents start to panic, be afraid and become generally grumpy about the restrictions imposed then the boys will act out. We know to keep away from crowds, avoid shops, wear a mask and be socially distant from others. We know to take our daily exercise and maintain our mental health in order to release the fear and anger, and get those feel good endorphins. All of these things have almost become second nature.
But what are we learning about our lives now that we’re forced to stop again? We learned last year that our health really was our wealth. We learned how much family means to us when we’re separated. We learned to appreciate the calm, take advantage of the quieter times before the madness of life gets going again. This year we’ve learned that the boys can pick up on all of our moods and they get bored just like we do, so keeping things fun and finding new ways to have adventures is good for everyone. Picnics in the garden, climbing the rocks at the beach, a cycle around the neighbourhood, a new park.
But how will we come out the other side? My husband and I learned a long time ago to appreciate the people in our lives. We know how fragile life can be. We also know how strong and resilient we are as individuals and together. Pandemic parenting taught us that we need to instill these values in our boys. These values need to be top of the list as they will inevitably face times in their lives when they will need to stand up, face the problem, figure out what the solution is and keep going. The only way is through.
Offsidemum 