Tag: parenting
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Hey Elderly Aunt, how do I cut myself a break?
Dear Elderly Aunt: Like everyone, I’m sure, this last year has kind of warped my mind. Not being able to go many places has not only made me feel trapped, but it’s like it magnifies all the mistakes I make. I find myself at night scrutinizing everything I said to my children that day, how I handled each situation (especially those I handled poorly), and ruminating over every mistake I made (big or small) at work and at home. Was I that hard on myself before all this? I don’t recall that. Maybe I was and I just don’t remember how it felt before all this pandemic madness. What advice do you have or what advice have you relied on in your life to keep yourself grounded and cut yourself slack for being human?
Hey Elderly Aunt, how do I support my teenaged son whose grades are slipping?
Dear Elderly Aunt: My 14-year-old son’s grades have slipped. While his grades aren’t awful, they’re not up to what he was earning before the pandemic. I regularly ask how he is keeping up with homework and online classes, but he tells me he has it under control. I work during the school day, so I can’t be there to supervise him and want to encourage him to be independent and solve his own problems. At the same time, I don’t want him to fall behind or damage his future prospects because of the backsliding in academic performance. What suggestions do you have for me, as a parent, to best keep him on task while allowing him to succeed or fail on his own?Sincerely, A concerned parent
Hey Elderly Aunt, is OK to not always enjoy being a new parent?
Dear Elderly Aunt,
People always tell new parents “enjoy this time.” But this time — the changing life roles and the massive responsibility of raising humans and the juggling work and sleepiness nights and never being able to have an adult conversation or a minute to your own thoughts — is it OK to not enjoy it sometimes?