James Wellborn & Stacy Jagger May you live in interesting times apocryphal Chinese curse Be careful what you wish for, lest it come true attributed to Aesop Every cloud has a silver lining annoying proverb attributed to John Milton This shut down is a disaster. And there is worse to come as the subsequent economic impact will be really, really …
Parenting in the Time of COVID-19: Fear, Itself, and Teens
Well, teens are finally starting to realize things are not normal. Sure, it began with school suddenly being out 2 months early. WOO! HOO! But. Wait. People will die if they get this virus? The entire world (the entire WORLD) has come to a full stop? No hanging out with friends and classmates, for MONTHS? No chance to improve grades? …
Parenting in the Time of COVID-19: Acts of Kindness
Stacy Jagger and James Wellborn Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.” Princess Diana Kindness through Connection Here is what we know. When we take our eyes off ourselves and focus on someone else, blessing them with our care and compassion …
Parenting in the Time of COVID-19: Improving your Pandemic Quality of Life
If you wait until things are “normal” again, you may be waiting a long, long time. While there are many things that will return to a familiar pattern, you are faced with the challenge to create a “new normal” for all that remains. This disruption will reveal some areas of your life that were out of balance, ignored or actually …
Parenting in the Time of COVID-19: Your Pandemic Quality of Life Review
Are we having fun yet? There has been plenty of time for you and your family to go through the giddy excitement and confusion of everything shutting down and being FREE! FREE! through the strain and conflict over being productive with everyone crammed in the house to the fear and anger about what our social and financial future is going …
Parenting in the Time of COVID-19: Parent Self Care
Self care is not an act of indulgence (though you should indulge). While this has always been true, it becomes even more important in times of high stress and social disruption. When everything is thrown into the air, it is easy to neglect taking care of yourself. But, you will need to be good at it if you are going …
Parenting in the Time of COVID-19: Screens and Teens
The effects of exposure to video screens on phones, tablets, monitors and televisions has been a topic of study for over two decades now (and even longer when it comes to the effects of TV). The conclusion is not good. And, at the same time, you have nothing to really worry about. Both are true. Here’s a quick recap. 7 …
Parenting in the Time of COVID-19: Screens and Children
Stacy Jagger & James Wellborn Back in the early days of electronics, in the 1920–30s, families would huddle around the radio and share the experience of listening to their favorite programs. Then in the 1940s, television became the social centerpiece of the family. These TV shows were not daily events, rather, they were special occasions when the family gathered ‘round …
Parenting in the Time of COVID-19: Teens and Schedules
As we talked about in the Home Schedules and Children column, our lives are arranged around natural and artificial rhythms (e.g., sunrise/sunset, seasons of the year, wake/sleep times, hunting for and gathering food, clockwork time, school, work, personal grooming and weekday/weekend, etc.). Typical teen rhythms include sleep/wake, school day, changing classes, project due dates, school year/summer break. These rhythms shape …
Parenting in the Time of COVID-19: Children and Home Schedules
Our lives are arranged around natural and artificial rhythms. The original rhythms are celestial-sunrise/sunset, cycles of the moon, menstruation, seasons of the year. Artificial rhythms include wake/sleep times, eating meals, hunting for and gathering food. Society creates rhythms that include clockwork time, school, work, personal grooming and weekday/weekend. Rhythms in specific contexts include changing classes, team meetings, project due dates, …