Before we had kids, I always imagined their world wouldn’t be as different as mine growing up. We’d have family gatherings, they’d have play dates, hang out in the neighborhood with other kids their age. The reality is, our world now is completely different from the world in which I grew up.
My kids are mostly sheltered; they are at an age where they enjoy playing at home still and will play together. They’re happy being home and knowing the routine. To be fair it wasn’t all my doing allowing their baby and toddler years to be this way. Many variables played into it.
First of all, we had a massive worldwide pandemic that we are still fighting three years later. This has forced all parents with littles to keep them home. The pandemic has essentially robbed our babies and toddlers of their first interactions with society. And parenting young kids in a pandemic is-without a doubt-the most difficult thing I can ever imagine. It requires an inner strength that is unfathomable.
When things started opening up a little bit more we parents had a tough decision on our hands. How much exposure is too much? Do we risk taking our kids out to meet and socialize with other kids? Is it worth risking their health for this? Since my own kids were content with playing at home, I opted to keep them away from most indoor activities. There was not yet a vaccine for their age group, so in my mind, this was the only call.
I didn’t cut all socialization entirely, however. I allowed my kids to participate in outdoor events, like soccer and family gatherings. I erred on the side of caution when it came to family gatherings as I took into account who was vaccinated and who they’d come into contact with and how much space apart could I really keep my kids even outside.
Needless to say, the pandemic has changed parenting. No parent can argue that, and don’t even try to reverse that opinion. One of my biggest pet peeves quickly became parents of older kids or adults telling me that I should allow more socialization; that it’s not that risky, and I was doing more damage keeping them home. Oh-and my all time favorite-it’s not that difficult, “we” had it way tougher than you young parents do now. PLEASE. Don’t let anyone ever tell you that because as far as I know, there has only been one pandemic in our lifetime and NO ONE has experienced parenting young kids during a pandemic until now. So do not listen to that BS.
As if a mass pandemic wasn’t enough, then our world continued to take a downfall when people started becoming more bold, hoping to be remembered as the next social media sensation knowing they will be hurting people in the process. It seems like every week there are at least 2 mass shootings in our country alone. Call it whatever you want-mental health crisis, gun control crisis-the reality is people are dying from shootings at an alarming rate, and parents don’t know who to trust.
Gone are the days of meeting people at a park or event and exchanging contact info to-god forbid-allow your children to socialize with theirs. A million thoughts now run in your mind as a parent of littles: I don’t really know this person, they could be nuts; I shouldn’t trust someone who we just met whom I know nothing about; what if they are only acting normal to get into my world, my kids’ world?
It’s yet another freedom our kids have been robbed of. It’s gotten so bad now I’m even nervous to take my kids to Target on a weekend, let alone a walk in the mall, for fear something is going to happen.
On top of a pandemic and mass shootings, parents have to worry about a myriad of other issues: pedophiles, a variety of new illnesses just now popping up , shortages of everything from formula to food, inflation at an all time high. It just seems like it’s relentless; the hits just keep on coming in our world today. And it makes parenting in our world increasingly difficult.
I’m really trying to start to try to trust others, but I’d be lying if I said inviting kids and parents from soccer, karate, even our neighbors into my home for my son’s birthday party puts me a little on edge. You just don’t know who to trust, and our world and the events of what have been happening have made parents like us that way.
So don’t ever let a parent or even someone who’s not a parent tell you “back in my day we’d never think twice about that.” Well yes, you wouldn’t. Because back in your day there were nowhere near the threats in your world as there are in ours. American citizens just need to do better, especially for our kids. Because ultimately the only job of parents of littles is to keep them safe, and we need to work together to make that happen.
