Give yourself permission not to have it all together. “This isn’t normal,” Rimler says. Don’t judge yourself if you may not be the parent you would normally be right now. It’s OK.
Understand why kids may be acting up. “Kids are looking to get some kind of control,” Rimler says. That’s why they may be saying, “I’m not going to do this. I’m not going to bed at this time.” Many parents may be battling new issues of oppositional behavior.
Remember that all kids will be behind academically. The social gap is more important, she says. She suggests setting up Zoom playdates for your kids if you aren’t already doing that. “It’s going to give them that social outlet, which takes a little pressure off parents.”
Everyone gets a pass to play hooky. Sneaking in a vacation day and letting the kids skip a day of school is not the end of the world, Rimler says. Remind yourself, “I’m not going to do major harm to my child if today I don’t force my child to take their classes.”
Communicate your needs with your partner. “We need to say, ‘This is really what I need from you right now.’ There isn’t one person whose job is more important.”
Don’t hesitate to get therapy for yourself. “Just because we can’t change the circumstance doesn’t mean we can’t change how we deal with the circumstance,” Rimler says. Professionals can assist in doing that.
