What I’ve Learned About Parenting Teens In A Pandemic

It’s been quite a year for us all, filled with so many challenges and difficult decisions, so much heartache and fear over all that has transpired during this Pandemic. No matter who you are, where you live, what your circumstances are, and all you’ve been through, we can all safely say we are glad to see 2020 go.

With the New Year, comes the hope that things will get better and our lives will be restored. It may take some time, but of all things we’ve learned, we certainly have mastered how to be patient and flexible. Am I right?

I’ve learned a lot this year. And although I’ve been rather quiet on this blog, I have written a bit about what I’ve learned while parenting teens in a pandemic on other sites when I’ve had the time, and space, and energy, and the mental capabilities to put words together that make sense.

I’d like to share my journey of parenting teens in a pandemic, with hopes that some of these articles might be helpful and encouraging to you as we continue to forge on into the New Year while we are still living through this pandemic.

Back in March, when everything shut down and people were quickly forming structured days filled with organizing charts and productive schedules, I was still stuck and allowing my kids (and me) to acclimate to this sudden change of life. I wrote about it on The Girlfriend HERE.

And then I felt the need to encourage my kids with this heartfelt letter of support on Moms of Tweens and Teens HERE.

I decided we needed to start having regular family meetings to help us all communicate better and understand each other’s needs. I wrote about that on Parenting Tweens and Teens HERE.

I also learned that although I would never allow my son to play video games for hours on end in normal circumstances, I realized all the benefits of it during these isolating times, which I wrote about HERE.

And as spring sprung, I was inspired to write this piece of hope on Moms of Tweens and Teens HERE. 

Parenting teens in a pandemic has not been easy. One of my challenges was helping my kids understand the seriousness of this pandemic and why we need to uphold the health and safety guidelines. I wrote about that on The Girlfriend HERE.

This has been soooo hard for us all, and I decided to write about how exhausting and depressing the isolation and monotony of life really is while being stuck at home. I poured my heart out on Parenting Tweens and Teens HERE.

Then Mother’s Day came and I wrote about what I really wanted, what we all really wanted. This poignant piece was published on Her View From Home HERE.

And as the long months went on, I wrote about all the things we are saying to our kids on repeat while parenting teens in a pandemic! I shared it on Moms of Tweens and Teens HERE.

When summer ended, the reality of only having one more year with my sweet senior hit me and I wrote about it on The Girlfriend HERE.

And well, she’s been the source of more of my writing, like this piece I wrote on Moms of Tweens and Teens about the ache and joy of letting her go, HERE.

And then we all faced the beginning of the school year in this pandemic and I realized how much my kids would miss in their first and last years of high school. I wrote about it on Parenting Tweens and Teens HERE.

This was a pivotal year for my son, who just started high school as a freshman, so I wrote him a heartfelt letter, sharing all the things I promise for the next four years. It was published on Moms of Tweens and Teens HERE.

And while we’re on my son, I was easily motivated (lol) to write about five important social skills he needs to master over on Moms of Tweens and Teens HERE.

Throughout the summer and fall months, I met a few friends to walk and it was GLORIOUS to be in person and share the same (socially distanced) space out in the fresh air together. Oh, how we all need our friends now more than ever. I wrote about that on The Girlfriend HERE.

And as the school year went on, I continued to do as much as I could to help my kids with all the challenges they faced in this pandemic. I realized I was doing more than I normally would for them and decided to write about this on Moms of Tweens and Teens HERE.

I’ve been amazed at how resilient my kids have been throughout this entire pandemic. I’m so proud of how well they have acclimated to all the changes and limitations of their lives, so I wrote about it on Parenting Tweens and Teens HERE.

We were so thankful that fall sports were allowed, but with the limitations and restrictions necessary to honor the health and safety guidelines according to our state’s COVID condition.  Every sports parent knows about our dreaded duties of working the concession stands, so I wrote about my recent experience over at Your Teen Magazine HERE.

Celebrating Thanksgiving in the midst of this pandemic was difficult for all, but I was inspired to write about the power of gratitude on Moms of Tweens and Teens HERE.

And as Christmas came, I shared about the collection of ornaments I’m giving my kids and the one that made me cry over on Moms of Tweens and Teens HERE.

And through this year, through all the tired and trying times I’ve faced with it all, I’ve learned that my faith is what carries me. It always has and always will, as I trust God knows what I need, what we all need, as we reach for Him with everything we are, and everything we do. There is comfort in knowing He cares for our needs, so I wrote about this ongoing prayer on Her View from Home HERE.

May this new year bring us fresh hope in healing and health, new perspectives on our most valuable priorities, and new lessons to learn in our parenting and in ourselves. And above all, I pray we are strengthened and comforted by our faith, our family, and our friends.