Page 39 - Jewish News_December-2020

FOCUS ON YOUTH December 2020 39A

Good cop, bad cop: The new challenges

of parenting during the pandemic

questions are complex, and the an- make us a mean parent or stifle our children feel about wearing masks.
Education swers must consider science, logic and kids. That voice is probably our best “Just fine” she said. “If I don’t make a
morality. Parents must set clear bound-
friend.”
big deal about it then they don’t.”
Corner aries while tending to their children’s In other words, parents must trust One day soon, we hope, this pan-
By Sabrina needs carefully. their intuition as they consider science, demic will be behind us and we can
According to Psychology Today,
Silverberg research shows that children and ad- logic and morality. What works for resume the activities and the copious
one child or one family does not nec-
lifestyle that we so love. Until then, it
olescents are experiencing mental essarily work for another. Certainly, it is important for parents to be the source
distress due to the disruptions of the is essential to heighten our awareness of abundant love for their children and
n a recent Facebook post, a Jew- closure of schools and extracurricular of what is going on with children. If yet, set firm boundaries to protect them
ish mother of two teens wrote this: activities, and maintaining social and they are not at school in person and from harm.
I“It’s not often that you get to squash physical distancing. Some children may are not participating in activities with As things get safer, we can loos-
your kids hopes and dreams multiple act out, become uncooperative or re- other children, we must help them con- en some of these limitations and give
times in one year but hey, 2020… Their gress. So what are parents to do? How nect to their peers. Attending Religious children more options. As it says in the
bubble of kids to do things with has can they support their children through School, Shabbat services and afternoon Talmud: “When you teach a child to
grown smaller overnight and the anger this coronavirus storm and keep them playdates virtually can help. walk, at first you stand very close. The
is palpable in the air. Struggles with re- safe and happy at the same time? Several Jewish organizations are child can only take one step, and then
mote school and work are real… Tears Rabbi Elaine Rose Glickman, who now having outdoor events safely and you must catch him. But as he grows,
of anger, frustration, guilt, grief and is a mother of three and an author of that may be an option for some families. you move farther and farther away, so
stress…” The post received dozens of several parenting books, agrees that It is also especially important for par- that he can walk to you.”
sympathetic responses from other par- parenting is especially difficult now. ents to remember that they set the tone Sabrina Silverberg, MARE, is the Ed-
ents identifying with this mother’s pain She speaks of the challenges of hav- for how children feel and behave. In a ucation Director at Temple Emanu-El
and frustration. ing two teens and a young adult “with recent outdoor event at Temple Ema- in Sarasota and can be reached at
Parenting in this time of COVID strong personalities” under one roof. nu-El, I asked a mother how her young sabrina@sarasotatemple.org.
is not for the faint of heart. As parents “There is a lot of happy together-
navigate through this uncharted ter- ness, but a lot of push back as well,” Like us on Facebook
ritory, there are more questions than she said.
answers. Is it safe for children to be Rabbi Glickman feels that it does
back at school in person? Will par- not help that there is a large spectrum ConneCt
ticipating in extracurricular activities in our society as to what is acceptable
expose them to a greater risk of being and safe. Not everyone is taking the with your Jewish Community
infected? Will the mental health toll same precautions and that complicates
of isolation pose an even greater risk things. Parents are at times forced to
to their health? What about the more impose their authority while other au-
vulnerable members of families? How thorities are not setting clear boundar- facebook.com/jfedsrq
can a sense of normalcy be maintained ies. In her book Sacred Parenting, she
for children without dire consequenc- writes, “Listen to the voice inside you,
es for the weak, ill or elderly? These often we beat it down, we think it will

DID YOU

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