Parenting with Anxiety during a Pandemic

We have gone over 3 months in South Carolina with the pandemic affecting our daily lives. It all started on Friday, March 13, 2020 in this state. This was when we knew the kids were not going back to school for a couple of weeks (what we were told then) and we had to make quick plans for child care. This was only the beginning of something I never thought we would have to deal with during our life time. My own children are 6 and 8 years old. The teachers were asked to provide e-learning materials quickly and they did everything they could. My husband and I were still working full time, thankful we still had jobs, but stressed we had no child care. We did not see any family or friends for 8 weeks. We took the recommendations seriously and we did our best in a very stressful situation. My parents have never experienced anything like this in their lifetime, so they had little advice. My mom lives close to me and wanted to help as much as she could but there was nothing she could do. We all felt pretty helpless and stressed. This made my own personal anxiety increase. I think many parents, especially those of us with a mental health condition, were feeling major effects from this pandemic.

Of course, it was difficult staying home in isolation from the world, but on top of that was worrying about contracting COVID19 when we had to go to the grocery store or anywhere. I am lucky I have a stay at home job. Even now, three months later, we are worried that at some point one of us will get sick. My anxiety likes to whisper possibilities about the worst case scenario. I have to regularly meditate and try to calm my nerves with photography, reading, cleaning, gardening, or anything else that will take my mind off those worries. It’s not easy, but necessary at this time. I prepared a list of helpful resources for parents who are also experiencing high amounts of anxiety during this difficult time. Not every tool will work for every person, but I have found that the more tools I try the more likely it is that I will find one that works for me. I hope this list is helpful for those parents struggling right now.

Managing Anxiety During Reopening

How to Help Children Manage Fears

I use this Calm App every night.

Self-Care during COVID suggestions

Self-Care during Protests suggestions

Finding a Therapist near you

I hope you all stay well and find comfort in some of the tools provided above.

Larisa Black

Walt’s Waltz Board Member