COVID-19 is not the end of the world, and that’s what we should be telling our children, say Denise Bodman and Bethany Van Vleet, two Arizona State University lecturers with the T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics.
In fact, they say, not only can our children learn resilience from this crisis, but they can pass on these strengths to the next generation. Facing challenges – and boredom – can help children learn, grow and make new connections.
A key aspect of parenting is realistic expectations, not only of our children, but of what is possible and achievable for the parent. Striving for “good enough” as a baseline can reduce our stress and sense of failure, which can actually improve our parenting and connections.