Strong Families, Happy Kids

It’s hitting families with children in some unique ways: students are schooling at home part- or full-time, which means working parents have to come up with childcare, shift to working from home (or shift to working from home while children are schooling from home), or possibly even stop working to stay home with their kids.

For many, planning and having something to look forward to keeps us sane, even when is “normal.” Given the current state of our world, though, many of the holiday traditions we look forward to have already been canceled or changed. So, given our new reality, how do keep up our holiday spirits—and those of our children?

As we enter the final months of this year, we continue to face uncertainty and even more change. One of the best things we can do for ourselves and to support all the families in our community is to create connection.

Building a sense of community is good for everyone. Nothing is more life-affirming than feeling connected.

Most people would agree that the past several months have been … well, challenging (and that’s putting it mildly).

In times of disruption and unpredictability, it can be difficult for parents to see their own strengths. Upset schedules, constant family time, new ways of working, and fewer ways of playing make life feel more stressful than usual—and parents may feel unequipped to handle it all.

The past several months have served as a prime example of challenging times. Within a few short weeks, parents went from busy and connected to long, unscheduled days, socially distanced from friends and family (and surrounded 24/7 by their kids).

For lots of people, this change has been stressful.

Eventually, the pandemic will be over, but even that will be a transition … maybe even a stressful one.

Imagine that you’re in a public restroom, and when you’re done using the toilet, you realize there isn’t any toilet paper. From inside the stall, you can hear two people chatting and washing their hands at the sink.

Do you ask for help?

If not, you’re not alone. Asking for help, even in this simple, very human situation, can be hard.

Many children go through hard things like bullying, losing a parent to divorce or death, witnessing domestic violence, and even abuse. Experts refer to these things as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and childhood trauma.

During the holiday season, our schedules ramp up. With everything from holiday parties to Christmas concerts and gift shopping (and wrapping!) to community events, it’s hard to find a moment of peace—especially if you have children.

In our last column, we focused on social and emotional competence of children—how children feel about themselves and their place in the world. It’s one of five Protective Factors outlined in the Strengthening Families™ Framework (the others are parental resilience, social connections, concrete support in times of need, and knowledge of parenting and child development).

As the school year hits its stride and we welcome the official start of the holiday season, we become busier. The fall months provide a great opportunity to focus on knowledge of parenting and child development.

It’s that time of year: summer break is coming to an end and kids are going back to school. No matter how ready parents and children think they are, the transition from carefree, unstructured summer days back to scheduled school hours can be a bit jarring.