I’m not sure who needs to hear this right now, but you are doing amazing! This year, back to school for parents and kids has a whole new level of anxiety and uncertainty. Please remember to be good to yourself, and to set your expectations realistically as you plan for the days ahead. I have spoken to many parents who are finding that their own stress levels and feelings of high anxiety have been trickling into their interactions with their children. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you are finding this to be the case in your home. Having been home for six months, having new school rules, having to wear masks, and so many other changes; it is perfectly normal to be experiencing heightened levels of stress and worry. Take a really deep breath. Plan for one to two weeks at a time. Figure out lunches and snacks and daily routines in smaller chunks. The beautiful thing about parenting is that our kids do not need (or want!) us to be perfect. They simply want and need us to love them, to be honest about what we are feeling, to create safe spaces for them to share what they are feeling, and to model flexibility and resilience in the face of tricky times. I assure you that you are doing amazing, and you WILL get through this transition. Sending light to you all….
