Maybe you’re like me. Juggling working from home, caring for your kids, and trying to handle everything else that comes with being a parent in the middle of a pandemic. Homeschool, screen time, work emails, meal prep, alone time– it can be a lot trying to stay sane.
Armin Brott is "Mr. Dad" – a parent, columnist and best-selling author who joined us on Daybreak with some tips for keeping it all together. He says many parents are struggling with one thing in particular.
“I think it’s the feeling that parents need to entertain their kids. And when you’re just limited to the things within your house, it can be a pretty big ask.”
Brott suggests creating a schedule to help break up the day. And he stresses the importance of coming up with a variety of activities, using his own daughter as an example.
“We get up, we go out, we do stuff outside. I go for hikes almost every day,” he said. “We’ve got to have different things. And I think we also have to have time alone.”
Finding that time alone can be really tough when you’re stuck at home for long stretches of time, managing a household. I know how much I’ve missed it, especially with my kids home from school now for weeks on end.
But Brott says that time apart benefits both parents and their kids.
“We feel that when we’re with our kids, we have to entertain them, we have to do something with them, we have to keep them busy,” he explained. “We each need time alone. That’s a super important thing, and that’s something that should not be underestimated."
It's not just you who needs space, either.
"That goes for the kids as well. Stepping off into separate corners and having some private time is not only underrated, but incredibly important to them," he said. "It’s something we don’t give ourselves enough of.”
This too shall pass. It’s a mantra that reminds me to see the light at the end of the tunnel. And it’s something Brott says parents can focus on to make this situation more bearable for them and their kids.
“Hopefully this is going to go by the wayside at some point. We’re going to get past this whole thing," he said. "What we’re doing is for the good of our family and for the good of people that we know. This is not the permanent way that life is going to be.”