Here we are in the middle of a pandemic trying to keep ourselves, our children (of all ages) and our extended families, sane, healthy and even educated. It’s a lot! We’ve all read the articles about the need to exercise, eat well, meditate as well as ideas about how to keep our kids learning, educated, healthy, etc.
What about collaborating with other parents of the same aged children? How are we all doing it when we used to be able to chat at the playground while our young kids played or in the parking lot after dropping off our kids at school, or over a glass of wine during a happy hour?...queue the sigh...ah the good old days.
It’s SO IMPORTANT to keep the lines of communication open with other parents during this time. I can remember countless times over the last 23 years of parenting I’ve gotten an idea from another parent about all things from teething, to potty training, to what creative lunches to make, to homework help, to dealing with letting go of our HS children, to the letting go of our college kids.
I’ll never forget when my oldest was graduating from HS and I was a mess of mixed emotions from pride to excitement to fear to sadness about him heading off to college. I had just finished a yoga class and was in the locker room. The woman next to me was quietly crying. I asked, “Are you OK?” She said, “Yes, my daughter and her fiancé, who I love, are about to get married and purchase their first house. I thought her going off to college was hard, but now our house is no longer going to be her home. She is about to build her own home and family.” Wow, I thought to myself, sending a kid off to college, ain’t that bad, there is more to come, enjoy these moments of his home still being our home. Without even knowing it, she helped me with perspective during a hard time.
Parenting is all about letting go over the years and getting the support and perspective for yourself (and from others) along the way. How are you getting the support and help along the way, collaborating with parents of the same aged children or a parent who has already parented your aged child?
- Tegan