Parenting in the Weirdest Time line

In just this past week I’ve tried to ignore a barrage of misinformation.

QAnon, COVID-19 cures, COVID-19 panic, fake ballots, and fake videos about fake ballots, not to mention faked claims of postal fraud by postal carriers who admit they faked it only to claim that they faked the faking… It feels like no one can agree on what reality is anymore.

My head is spinning.

Kids probably aren’t hearing all this stuff. They are probably unaware of the hoaxes and conspiracy theories. But they are exquisitely aware of how you are doing as their parent. They are watching how we handle all this. So it pays to be smart and skeptical right about now, because you are showing them how to handle things when times get weird.

Here are five tips for connecting with your kid in a way that will help you both right now:

1. Unplug. Shut off the screens and just do something analog for a day.

2. Read together. Kids love it and it resets and regulates your emotions too.

3. Make something together. Art, food, anything where your hands get a little dirty.

4. Reach out. Call those old friends and relatives you don’t hear from often.

5. Share. If your kid is older and wants to know, talk about those weird hoaxes and conspiracy theories together. Laugh about them, reason about them, and help your kid learn the tools of skepticism from this experience.