Parenting in the Time of Coronavirus

March 11, 2020

Parenting in the Time of Coronavirus

By Jessica Grose

Ariel Davis

Last weekend, we took our children to Brooklyn Bridge Park — our local weekend spot that also doubles as a tourist attraction. There’s a huge playground with a giant sand pit, and we brought buckets and shovels and rakes for our kids. After about 20 minutes of digging, my children got bored and moved on to slide mountain, leaving their sand toys behind. I watched as toddlers I didn’t know wandered over and put their grubby little mitts on our bucket — a typical park occurrence, one I wouldn’t even have registered in typical circumstances.

But we’re not in normal times. We’re in coronavirus times. I wanted to know if I should be concerned about previously unassuming scenarios that might now be hazardous for my family. Should we start changing our behavior? I talked to three infectious disease pediatricians and a cleaning expert and they answered eight of our readers’ most pressing questions.

Read their responses here.

If you’re not in an area with an active outbreak, the current advice is to mostly go about your daily routine as long as you’re emphasizing hand washing and other hygienic practices. However, the news is fast moving, so check your local and state health department websites for the most up-to-date recommendations.

One piece of advice that didn’t make it into our piece from Jolie Kerr, a cleaning expert and frequent New York Times contributor: If children of unknown provenance touch your crusty sand buckets, you can sanitize them by throwing them on the top rack of your dishwasher. If you don’t have a dishwasher, a scrub with good old soap and water will do the trick.

If you have additional questions, submit them at the bottom of this article or email us.

P.S. Follow us on Instagram @NYTParenting. Join us on Facebook. Find us on Twitter for the latest updates. Read last week’s newsletter about why it’s normal for kids to prefer one parent.

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Want More on Coronavirus?

If you’re pregnant and concerned about the virus, Christina Caron, an NYT Parenting reporter, talked to the experts and has answers. As usual, add any additional questions to the form at the bottom of that piece.
If you’ve found that you suddenly need to work at home with your kids, our pals at Wirecutter have tips for making it more tolerable.
The new coronavirus seems to be (mostly) sparing children. Get more details from Apoorva Mandavilli, a New York Times contributor.
This kind of outbreak can exacerbate mental health issues for parents. The World Health Organization has a tip sheet for managing stress and anxiety in many different kinds of situations.
Many schools are closing because of the virus. What do you do with your kids at home? Marisa Porges, the head of The Baldwin School in Bryn Mawr, Pa., has advice.

Tiny Victories

Parenting can be a grind. Let’s celebrate the tiny victories.

My 3-year-old treats hand washing like a competitive sport now thanks to preschool lessons. — Thryn Shapira, San Jose, Calif.

If you want a chance to get your Tiny Victory published, find us on Instagram @NYTparenting and use the hashtag #tinyvictories; email us; or enter your Tiny Victory at the bottom of this page. Include your full name and location. Tiny Victories may be edited for clarity and style. Your name, location and comments may be published, but your contact information will not. By submitting to us, you agree that you have read, understand and accept the Reader Submission Terms in relation to all of the content and other information you send to us.

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