As if parenting weren’t challenging enough, the coronavirus pandemic has raised a thousand new, unprecedented questions.
We asked the experts: Should older kids be more proactive in helping younger kids? If so, how?
“The older siblings, they set this, they set the bar, kind of set the tone for the family and the household. And so they can really help with the things that parents don't necessarily see. So the things that go on behind closed doors, like the hand washing and the cleaning, and helping the younger siblings to do the things necessary, like keep their mask on when mom and dad are not in the room,” said Nashville Pediatrician Dr. Dontal Johnson.
“That's still a level of comfort question and where you think your child is developmentally, there are a lot of kids of that age that are really kind of, you know, itching for that extra responsibility. And I think if they are then you know, you should give it to them. And I think what better way to develop some of those, you know, life skills than to give them a little bit more control around the house?” suggested educator Andie Pitchford.
