Throughout our family’s long first month of social distancing—which in our case has amounted to being basically self-quarantined—you’ve adapted to a tremendous amount of change.
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Looking After Our Mental Health
16
Apr
The new realities of working from home, temporary unemployment, home-schooling of children, and lack of physical contact with other family members, friends and colleagues take time to get used to. Adapting to lifestyle changes such as these, and managing the fear of contracting the virus and worry about people close to us who are particularly vulnerable, are challenging for all of us. They can be particularly difficult for people with mental health conditions.
Agonizing Over Screen Time? Follow The Three C’s
14
Apr
Certainly, existing screen time recommendations (no screen time for children under 18 months and less than one hour of daily high-quality programming for 2- to 5-year-olds) don’t really account for the reality of how we use media. Sure, our children use screens to watch cartoons, but they also need them to connect with teachers, classmates and grandparents.
Ways To Help Your Child Cope During a Pandemic
09
Apr
How does all this affect children? No doubt some of my readers would have quite a bit of insight to offer! The situations readers are dealing with are no doubt highly diverse. All I can offer are general guidelines. These rely on what psychologists have learned from prior public crises (e.g., the 9/11 attacks, earthquakes, and some others). I thank my colleague Linda Schmidt, M.D., for helpful insights.
10 Phrases Parents Can Use To Help Kids Understand Social Distancing
08
Apr
Children vary so much in their verbal and social-emotional development that even two kids who share the same chronological age may have very different ways of understanding or expressing complex problems. The goal is to break it down in ways that are simple, but meaningful.
Navigating co-parenting in a time of social distancing and quarantines
31
Mar
Four days before President Trump declared the coronavirus outbreak a national emergency, and Americans across the country prepared to hunker down, my ex-husband called to say someone in his building had tested positive for Covid-19.
10 Kid’s Birthday Party Ideas For When Everybody’s Stuck In The House
25
Mar
Whether you had a big party planned or not, being forced to stay in the house for your birthday is a bummer, especially if you’re a kid. Social distancing has made just about everything more complicated, but with the right kid’s birthday party ideas you can still celebrate your little one’s big day at home. All you need is some imagination (and a little sugar wouldn’t hurt).
AT&T Bringing Families Together with Contribution to Caribu
24
Mar
To help keep families connected during this uncertain time, AT&T is funding 60 days of free access and unlimited usage of Caribu, a video-calling application that allows family members to read, draw, and play games with one another while in distant locations.
Playdates are out, schedules are in — what experts say kids should and shouldn’t do as the coronavirus outbreak closes schools
23
Mar
In an effort to slow the virus’ spread, almost 20 states temporarily shuttered statewide kindergarten through 12th-grade schools as of Sunday. They are shifting to online instruction, just like many colleges that are ending in-person classes. Many other cities and towns are taking the same approach in states that haven’t yet announced closures.
The coronavirus will cause a child care crisis in America
20
Mar
As schools close and parents lack paid leave, who will take care of the country’s kids?