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I’ll say it: This summer has been a bummer so far, and it’s not looking like it’s going to get much better. As the school year wound down, and summer approached, my son would even say things like, “Well, I’m going to be on summer vacation soon, not that it matters because we won’t be able to go anywhere or do…Read more...

Kids are missing out on lots of conventional social interactions with their friends right now, but we’re also getting pretty good at figuring out pandemic variations on the classics. “It’s Better Than Nothing” should be everyone’s mantra by now, which is why I’m going to recommend that you let your kids have video…Read more...

I cannot tell you that by going to a playground right now, you or your child aren’t exposing yourselves to at least some risk of contracting COVID-19. But I see you out there, parents of little kids who are desperate to get them out of the house and burn off some of their energy. If you’ve been debating whether or not …Read more...

Parents everywhere are holding their breath this summer, waiting to see what school in the fall might look like. Sending kids into school every day seems so risky for everyone involved; and yet, the thought of more weeks or months of remote learning is also emotionally daunting. The American Academy of Pediatrics…Read more...

It can be difficult for any child (or adult, honestly) to grasp all the changes we’ve had to make in our lives this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. But children with autism often need a little extra help in understanding why life looks so different right now, especially as we approach the start of another…Read more...

I don’t know about the rest of you, but the novelty of mask-wearing has officially worn thin in my family. My nine-year-old son thought they were pretty cool at first—he even wanted to create reasons to have to wear them—but now he sees them for the uncomfortable inconvenience that they are. Unfortunately, he (and me,…Read more...

I’ve written about how to have a variety of “big talks” with our kids as they grow up—enough of them that we’ve grouped them into their own section so you can peruse them easily. Right now we, as parents, can’t afford to avoid talking with them about any number of challenging topics—the global health crisis, systemic…Read more...

Inflatable pools are hard to come by right now. I know because I spent many hours trying to locate and purchase one for use in my own yard. Seems we’re all trying to find ways to bring a little summer fun into the confines of our own properties while the usual go-tos—camps, playgrounds and public pools—remain closed. A…Read more...

Summer vacation is here. For many of us, it’s been with a mix of relief and dread that we kick the 2019-20 school year to the curb and enter a summer that seems to spread out endlessly before us. Hey, remember when kids used to play with each other? Like, in person? Read more...

As the parent of a sports-obsessed 10-year-old, I was grateful that I was able to relive the Michael Jordan era with my son by watching The Last Dance, ESPN’s series chronicling the Chicago Bulls’ 1997-98 championship season. I was even more pleased that it led to us having in-depth conversations about Jesse Helms’…Read more...

Most school years go out with a bang: There are end-of-year concerts, field days, school-wide picnics, and all sorts of other pomp and circumstance. This year, it’s going out with a barely more than a whimper—a teacher dropping by to say a socially distanced goodbye, a final Zoom call with classmates. With everything…Read more...

I have found there is an ebb and flow to parenting during a pandemic. It has played out in my own home, as well as across my social media feeds, and it goes a little something like this: “Omg, the kids are on screens way too much! They need more educational activities, more learning opportunities, more structure ...…Read more...

We’re all getting creative with how we celebrate big milestones while also physically distancing our way through the pandemic. One popular tactic, particularly for birthdays, has been the drive-by party parade. Guests “gather” around the block by lining up in their cars and then drive by the birthday boy/girl’s home,…Read more...

Millions of high school seniors will be finishing up their final classes, submitting the last of their assignments and taking their end-of-school-year exams this month. Their long journey toward graduation is about to conclude, and they probably won’t get to walk across the stage, shake a bunch of hands or toss their…Read more...

Recently, my son turned one year old, and with this milestone, he was due for his 12-month wellness visit. Or—wait—was he? I thought navigating appropriate finger foods for my son was tricky, then the world threw me a pandemic curveball. I wondered if the stay-at-home order in my state of Indiana, and the necessary…Read more...

Kids on the screens a lot these days? Staying up later? Sleeping in more? Wearing pajamas all day and all night? Hello and welcome to Pandemic Parenting, the gameshow where everything’s made up and the points don’t matter.Read more...

Emotions, they are running high right now. We’re living in a time of fear and sadness and anger, grieving the loss of normalcy in our day-to-day lives as the pandemic has redefined normal. The circumstances are challenging for the calmest and most resilient among us, let alone for our kids, who are still learning how…Read more...

Most of us have been home with our kids for at least a month. My kids have been home since March 6 (but who’s counting?), and although we are happy to keep our distance as long as necessary, I desperately long for the days when I could drop my girls off with their patient and qualified professional educators instead…Read more...