Dr. Harold S. Koplewicz Opinion contributor
USAToday Feb 18, 2021
Parents who are struggling with burnout, anxiety and isolation have to now adjust to the next “new normal” for their children: letting them go.
The coronavirus vaccine hopes to “normalize” life for young people and bring them back to school, activities and friends. But we can’t underestimate how destabilizing reentry will be. Parents who are struggling with burnout, anxiety and isolation have to now adjust to the next “new normal” for their children: letting them go.
Kids who’ve been cooped up and isolated will need to spread their wings and take chances. This highlights a peculiar power of the pandemic and the resilience of children. The reality that we all struggled (and still struggle) to accommodate to has become normal for our children. To readjust to “in-real-life” interactions with peers, they may have to go through some trial and error. Some will make mistakes and get hurt. Some anxious children who flourished at home during lockdown will struggle reengaging.
To scaffold an anxious child — or any child — for social reentry in the coming months:
Read More: COVID-19 return-to-normal may mean scaffolding parenting to help kids (usatoday.com)