As if parenting weren't challenging enough, the coronavirus pandemic has raised 1,000 new, unprecedented questions.
We asked the experts: How do I prepare kids for disappointment like canceled vacations and birthday parties?
“Life's full of ups and downs," said Rosina McAlpine, a parenting expert and author. "We can't protect our children from the challenges, and nor would we want to. That's not a good thing."
“Kids understand pain. They understand loss in certain ways," said Dr. Dontal Johnson, a pediatrician in Nashville. "So framing that, 'We’re not giving up on this birthday party, or, 'We’re not missing out on this birthday party, what we are doing is protecting whoever’s birthday it is so they can have many more birthdays to come.' And then try to figure out, get creative with your child and figure out what’s the best way we can celebrate that birthday from a distance."
“What are the things that you can do outside that are fun? We're talking about camping, making, you know, a bonfire and making s'mores, going for walks, going hiking," said Carolyn Ievers-Landis, a clinical psychologist in Cleveland. "What are the things that you can plan as a family that are exciting for you that you can look forward to but that are also safe?”
