Throw Away One Worry This Week

March 21, 2020

A roundup of new guidance and stories from NYT Parenting.

Yesterday I opened my cupboard and stared at a pair of garish, orange plastic cups. I use these cups to serve my children milk, and as recently as last week, I would look at them and think: I really should throw these out. I don’t even remember where they came from, and they’re probably leeching all sorts of unpronounceable toxins into my kids’ bloodstreams every time they take a sip — which I know from our own coverage of plastics!

But when I look at them now, nested cheerfully on the shelf, when we’re barely leaving the house as the coronavirus whips around the country, I think: I don’t give a rat’s patoot about these cups anymore. And, in that spirit, I invite you all to take one minor thing you used to worry about and throw it out the window for the next several months. If you can take anything off your considerable mental loads right now, please do so.

This week, we have stories about how folks in Seattle are managing work with their children at home (the answer is: it’s a nightmare); how to handle your kids’ disappointment about the changes in their lives; how to work from home with your partner without losing it; and a bright spot: an essay from Hanna Ingber, an editor at The Times, about how her co-parenting relationship with her ex has improved during this pandemic. If you’re a divorced or separated parent, we want to hear from you about your experiences co-parenting during the coronavirus.

Thanks for reading!

— Jessica Grose, lead editor, NYT Parenting

P.S. For all of our coronavirus coverage, click here.

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Lilli Carré

Handling Your Kid’s Disappointment When Everything Is Canceled

School and events are shutting down, affecting children in unexpected ways. Here’s how to deal with the letdown.

What parents can say

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Peter Phobia

What Should You Do About Your Babysitter During Coronavirus?

If we’re practicing social distancing, is it OK to invite babysitters into our homes? Should we be offering our sitters time off — and if so, paid or unpaid? What if we’re worried that our caregivers might get our families sick?

What the experts say

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Hanna Ingber

My Ex and I Fought About Everything. Then Came the Coronavirus.

As news of the coronavirus got more and more dire, I worried: How do single parents take care of themselves and their children?

Read Hanna’s story

Jaime Fitch working from home with her 10-month-old daughter, Elowen, strapped to her chest. Parents in Seattle found themselves suddenly without child care last week after schools closed because of the coronavirus.via Jamie Fitch

“It Is a Nightmare Out Here”: Seattle Parents Struggle to Balance Work and Child Care

One of the first major American cities to face the coronavirus is now dealing with a child care shortage.

How parents in Seattle are managing

Antonio Giovanni Pinna

How to Work From Home Alongside Your Partner Without Losing It

Try “spousal distancing” to minimize coronavirus conflict when you’re stuck at home with your whole family 24/7.

What you can do

Tiny Victories

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

Got 30+ friends and family together on a Zoom call to sing happy birthday to my son, who turned 6 today! It was a much needed outpouring of love. — Lili Weisz, Chicago

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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