Parenting In The Pandemic: I Am Obsessing About Screen Time

Why hasn’t anyone written a book called Pandemic Parenting? Or Parenting During a Pandemic? Trapped In a Box: Parenting Quarantine Style? What were parents doing during the Black Plague? 1918 Flu?? Probably trying to survive the Black Plague and 1918 Flu…

But anyway – Let me tell y’all – I’d read it, listen to the Audible, follow the author on Twitter and Instagram. Start a fan club – all the things. I would do all the things.

Listen – (or read. You guys know what I mean). Being a mom right now is ridiculous and weird. I have all these extra anxieties that really would not have made sense in 2019. Is he getting too much screen time? Is it not enough screen time? Does online school count as screen time? I. DON’T. KNOW. PLEASESENDHELP! He can’t see his friends right now – is the phone time with them too much? Not enough? OHMYGAWDISTHISCREENTIMETOO?! Is walking the dogs 4 times a day enough exercise?  Does playing “Just Dance” on the Switch count as exercise? OH DEAR LORD! IS THIS SCREEN TIME TOO?! Are we even counting screen time right now? Does it matter? Does anything matter?? I have never worried about screen time in all his years of existence like I do now. 

Are puzzles stimulating enough? Do our movie & popcorn dates ALSO COUNT AS SCREEN TIME?! Am I making him read too much? Are all things I’m doing to try to stimulate his brain actually breaking it instead?! Sweet baby Cheezus are we spending too much time together?! Have we officially become too codependent? Am I stunting his emotional growth? Are all his teenage years ruined now because he started them off trapped in a box? This kid is a literal QuaranTEEN and has no one but me to whom he can complain about his life. Will this ruin him?

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I’M DOING!! (AND I CANNOT STOP SAYING “PANDEMIC PARENTING” IN MY HEAD)

I’m generally a well disguised mess, but lately my brain is enjoying the wild ride of anxiety attack plotlines 2020+ some months has provided. So quick question, please feel free to answer. Do any of you all have any idea what you’re doing? If you do, can you pass me a cheat sheet? Thanks. Also, I’m incredibly jealous and maybe a little bit of the hater for all the moms who have kept their Pinterest worthy status through all of this.

Just get through it.

Our whole goal this year (and by this year, I mean 2020 + because until it all gets better, it’s still 2020 to me) is to just get through it. I may be terrified I’m messing up The Boy, but I’ll wait until we re-enter society on a regular basis to truly assess the situation. I mean, he seems good to me. But like I said – we’ll see. But really, if you have like a screen time formula sheet or something, or q quarantine quaranTEEN guide, please feel free to share. K thanks.

I’m going to go try not to panic now. Maybe try to write that pandemic parenting book…