Note: This blog post was written and originally posted on March 25, 2020. I never imagined it  would still be so relevant almost 1 year later!

To all you parents

Who are not “crushing” your quarantine experience.

Who are realizing that the “homework struggle” is nothing compared to the “homeschool struggle”

Who see other families baking cookies and doing crafts while you’re navigating meltdowns and answering endless strings of questions- “Why can’t we go to the store, the library, the playground, the park, grandma’s, school, or a restaurant?”  All. Day. Long!

Whose child needs to be active and you’re trying to provide activity in a safe way inside

Whose child is anxious and is overwhelmed by the events of the day

Whose child is highly sensitive and “feels” and reacts to the moods and emotions of others

Whose child needs more physical contact, but you are all “touched out” or whose child can’t stand to be touched and you just want to offer a hug

Who want to be flexible, but their child loses control if they miss a meal, a nap, or a bedtime

Who are now working from home, “teaching” their special needs child, and trying to “provide services” that their children would normally receive at school…

I see you.

I get it.

I’m here for you.

Please remember- you can only do so much.

YOUR CHILD can only do so much.

Remember – your child has increased needs at this time when you may have decreased resources.

You are all stressed!

And we just don’t know how long this will last. So, to be exhausting your already limited resources IS NOT GOOD!

You will have to increase your acceptance- “this is happening and there is nothing I can do about that.”

And decrease your expectations- You may not be ABLE to do all that you are expected to do for work, provide all the care your child needs, teach all that needs to be taught, provide the emotional support for your family, and do what you typically do to care for your home, yourself, and your loved ones.

You will have to determine what has the higher priority.

You will have to brainstorm who can help you and how.

And, if it is possible, always make the choice that increases connection!

It won’t do your family any good if you spend the next whatever period of time together stressed out, bickering, on edge, and at war with each other.

Instead, find a way to build connection, even if it means letting some responsibilities go.

What will be most important after all this is how we supported each other.

If, at the end of this experience, we haven’t somehow managed to find a way to increase connection in ourselves, in our family, our community, and the outside world, we will have dropped the ball!

If you need help figuring this out- message me or book a complimentary call today.