CSEE’ s annual Service Learning Event will take place January 27th, 28th, and 29th via Zoom! We’ re excited to gather for a couple of hours each day to hear from presenters, share ideas, and troubleshoot given our challenging 20-21 school environments. See information about this event and others at csee. org / event
PARENT TIPS
• Reduce exposure to news media for all family members, but especially younger kids. For adults and older kids, turn to a few trusted sources. Keeping current with public health information translates into responsible action, while rapidly shifting, shocking“ news” bites erode our sense of safety without benefit. Resist the urge to forward alarming headlines.
• Remind yourself to be realistic about productivity, both yours and your kids’, especially in households where members continue to work or attend school virtually, together, perhaps in close quarters.
• Reach out virtually to others. Bored during her spring break, a teen offered on-line tutoring to younger students. In a few months she and friends she recruited were providing 200 weekly sessions through a new nonprofit, affording the equivalent of a business internship for the founders and vital support for families. Younger kids might interview elders about their experiences coping with challenging times, another example of mutual caretaking.
• Remember that your behavior now will build resilience for the future beyond the pandemic, for yourself, for your children, and for your community. I imagine Albright’ s family stumbling out of a bomb shelter to face an unrecognizable landscape. Then, as now, the task is finding ways to keep calm and carry on, while honing skills necessary for whatever comes next. •
Julie Stevens is a parent, former school psychologist, and former independent school teacher. She has written numerous articles on parenting and moral growth that can be found on csee. org.
Save the date!
CSEE’ s annual Service Learning Event will take place January 27th, 28th, and 29th via Zoom! We’ re excited to gather for a couple of hours each day to hear from presenters, share ideas, and troubleshoot given our challenging 20-21 school environments. See information about this event and others at csee. org / event
CSEE Connections Fall 2020 Page 37