By Dr. Mya T. Bowen, Ed. D, MBA, MSPA
Dear Parents,
We see you. We value you. We want the best for you. Let’s keep it 100, you provide the best of you, when you are at your best. During this pandemic, we want to acknowledge that it has NOT been a cakewalk. There is so much to be considered when it comes to your journey throughout this unprecedented era, and I’d like to provide some suggestions regarding how to consider what you are dealing with and how to assist you.
During this pandemic, you have had to pivot in multiple ways from a home/work/life perspective. For almost two years, you have had to transition into an in-house teacher as remote learning became the norm. Additionally, depending on your employment status, you either became a remote worker, or an even less than desired event occurred where you became unemployed or underemployed. May I ask you a valid question: How did the pandemic impact you?
Here are some additional questions:
• Are you stressed out?
• Have you struggled with time management?
• Has your sleep patterns changed?
• Are you more tired now than before the pandemic?
• Has your housing status changed?
• Has your employment status changed?
• Have you had assistance from family or organizations in any way?
• Have your eating and exercise habits changed?
• Overall, how has your child’s remote education impacted you?
• The last question is: What kind of assistance do you need to make your daily and weekly home/work/life better?
It Takes a Village – we must develop a community mindset and corresponding actions to bridge the gap that single parent and dual-parent household find themselves in while trying to educate their child at home without assistance from others (the other parent, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, friends).
As parents, it is recognized that you are juggling work/life balance as well as in-home teaching. Accordingly, we should consider how to assist you during these challenging times. I believe it is important that we develop and embrace an understanding of the following concepts that should be applied to meet the needs of individuals who need and seek help. The following concepts are what I believe to be very important considerations to strengthen us:
• Care
• Culture
• Collaboration
• Community
• Connectivity
• Consistency
Additionally, I am providing some resources for consideration:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – “Stress and Coping”; “Coping with Stress”; “Care for Self”; and “Helping Children Cope”
“Stress and Coping” – https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/stress-coping/index.html
“Coping with Stress” – https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-anxiety.html
“Care for Self” – https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-anxiety.html
“Helping Children Cope” – https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/for-parents.html
The last question is: What kind of assistance do you need to make your daily and weekly home/work/life better? I can be reached via DrMyaTBowen2078@icloud with questions and comments.
