Parenting During a Pandemic

When Dr. Michael Thompson, clinical child psychologist and New York Times best-selling author, began his Dawson Parent University presentation, he opened with a simple but powerful acknowledgement: In his more than 50 years of work with children and independent schools, this is one of the most challenging times for families he’s ever experienced. Whether a family is facing the loss of employment, managing health concerns, balancing working remotely in conjunction with a child’s distance education needs, or even grappling with the inability to see friends and family, the pandemic has made the grim trifecta of worry, stress, and fear a part of daily life for most of us. The demands on parents of young children in particular have grown exponentially, and a healthy work-life balance difficult to maintain, which makes how we care for ourselves and each other more important than ever. Yet, as Dr. Thompson notes, the most important thing parents must remember is they are not struggling alone.
Sometimes, even when we know these things to be true on one level, hearing from someone like Dr. Thompson can feel both validating and reassuring. During both his Dawson Parent University presentation and in the accompanying podcast he recorded with Head of School Roxanne Stansbury and Assistant Head of School Andrew Bishop, Dr. Thompson shared some very salient points with families to help them during this difficult time when, as Roxanne notes, there is no pandemic book or guide parents can turn to for answers. While we highly recommend watching or listening to Dr. Thompson’s parenting wisdom, here are four simple but important considerations for parents and caregivers to remember as they navigate this difficult time with their children:

On resilience: Resilience is generally defined as one's ability to bounce back from a difficult situation, experience, or event. Children – if they feel loved, safe, and have their basic needs met – are much more resilient than we give them credit for, even when living through a difficult event such as this one. If parents are able to meet their child’s basic needs and can focus on providing love and physical and emotional safety, they will help build and strengthen their child’s resilience, which is also an essential life skill.

On sleep: As a Challenge Success school, we talk a lot at Dawson about the importance of sleep. Dr. Thompson states, if your child is sleeping well (approximately 8-10 hours per night) regardless of whether bedtime routines look different or may even be a little unusual, this is one of the most positive indicators of a child’s mental and emotional health. Try to keep some semblance of an evening routine, turn off all screens about an hour before bed, and make getting an adequate amount of sleep an important part of your family regimen.

On play: Dr. Thompson says play, another important aspect of Dawson’s Challenge Success program, is as vital to children’s wellbeing as sleep. Even if your child may not be able to see their friends or be in a classroom, if your child is playing –whether on their own or with siblings and others –this is another very positive indicator of a child’s mental and emotional health. And yes, even time playing video games counts!

On being a “good enough” parent: Parents need to trust in their children’s resilience and forgive themselves for not being able to do everything they would normally do during a non-pandemic time. “I want parents to give themselves a break,” says Dr. Thompson. “If your child is mostly occupied and content, has meltdowns some of the time but is okay most of the time, you are a good enough parent.” In other words, if you are doing the best you can to take care of your child and yourself, you are doing enough. 

While we cannot completely protect our children from some of the stressors related to the pandemic, Dr. Thompson’s helpful strategies and advice for supporting your family’s mental and emotional wellbeing is sound. For more information on parenting during a pandemic, we suggest the following resources:


By Megan Gray
Chief Communications Officer
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The Alexander Dawson School

The Alexander Dawson School at Rainbow Mountain, an independent school located on 33-acres in the community of Summerlin, is Nevada’s first Stanford University Challenge Success partner school for students in early childhood through grade eight. Utilizing the unique Challenge Success framework, Dawson uses research-based strategies and programs that emphasize student academics, wellbeing, and a healthy school-life balance to create more engaged, motivated, and resilient learners and leaders. At Dawson, students achieve their individual potential while savoring life and meeting the challenges of the world.