GenParenting

Parenting resources for all who love and care for children

Recreating COVID-19 Holidays

Recreating COVID-19 Holidays

October is an important month in our household. My grandson, Kenji, will have a birthday in a few days. Then we have Halloween at the end of the month. My grandson typically enjoys a birthday party with friends and celebrates Halloween at a school celebration. With COVID-19, we are redefining how we will celebrate the following holidays:

  • We will celebrate Kenji’s birthday with a small family party. He has already received a new larger bicycle for this event. Kenji will celebrate his birthday with his aunt and uncle and a special bike ride. We will then enjoy cake and ice cream as my grandson plays with his other gifts.
  • Kenji will wear his Halloween costume while attending his remote classroom on Halloween. Some schools will celebrate Halloween with a car parade at the school site while students wear their costumes. Other families will celebrate with their neighborhood pod of two to three families. Several families are decorating their homes and will host a Halloween party with their children. They may also Zoom with other school families and friends.
  • Thanksgiving will be a challenge as we may need to leave our home for a long-awaited construction project. We are looking forward to eating a take-out Thanksgiving dinner in our hotel room.
  • Christmas will be celebrated with a Christmas tree, gifts, and a visit with a couple of family members.

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Coronavirus: Expanding Our Shopping Options

Coronavirus: Expanding Our Shopping Options

We continue to adjust to a new normal as California slowly returns to more contact with our families, neighbors, and local businesses. Some of the changes impacting family members include:

  1. Stores are becoming more mobile. We are learning how to interact with retailers in new ways through curbside services, more online purchases, and home deliveries.
  2. As this mobility increases, drug stores will expand curbside services.
  3. Online purchases will become more cost effective as staffing is secured for added customer services that support bundling deliveries.
  4. Schools will adjust their fall programs through staggered class schedules to maintain social distancing protocols.
  5. Sporting events will be modified to ensure safety for players and possibly limited spectators.
  6. Communities will struggle on how to teach and train small groups to use face masks when in public.
  7. Child care services will need to be adjusted to smaller groups.
  8. And the overall emotional and social health of a society must continue to be monitored to ensure the healthy development of all.

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An Educator’s Reflection on George Floyd’s Tragic Death

An Educator’s Reflection on George Floyd’s Tragic Death

I am the Executive Director of Youth Policy Institute Charter Schools in the Los Angeles area. Last week, I sent the following message about George Floyd’s tragic death to my schools’ staff members.

As the mother of a 21-year-old son, I am stunned, angered, and not surprised, once again by the inhumane treatment of African-Americans. The images of today’s events, along with memories of stories repeated and passed down from one generation to another in my family are so clearly seared in my mind. The events leading up to George Floyd’s death and after have been extremely challenging for me to process as an adult. I am certain that it has been the same for many of our staff and children who have been living through the violence. [Read more…]

Preparing My Grandson for a Third Cultural Heritage Experience

Preparing My Grandson for a Third Cultural Heritage Experience

My grandson’s mom recently returned from an extended trip to the Elephant Nature Park in Thailand. During Mom’s travels, Kenji’s dad relocated his business to Bangkok, Thailand. When I talk with my grandson about his mother’s recent trip and his dad’s business relocation, I realize that my grandson will be expanding his cultural heritage to another new country when he lives with his father in Bangkok. Our family will prepare for this new cultural experience by participating in the following activities:

  • Continue to talk with Mom about her recent trip to the Elephant Nature Park and view the pictures of his mom’s trip on Facebook.
  • Have Dad send Kenji pictures of his new cultural experiences in Bangkok and talk about these experiences during their FaceTime phone calls.
  • Meet with family friends to look at photos of trips to various sites in Thailand. During this visit, Kenji will also receive some historical postcards that he can use when he writes notes to his father. Kenji and his dad can talk about these postcard pictures during their FaceTime phone calls.

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Mom Is on a Trip

Mom Is on a Trip

While Kinji’s dad visited his son in the United States, his mom traveled to Thailand. When Kenji was with his father, he did not miss his mother because he was excited to spend this time with Dad and his relatives. Once I took care of my grandson at his home for four more days (beyond time spent with Dad?), Kenji commented that he missed his mom when playing because his mom was always there. I immediately acknowledged Kenji’s feelings about his mom’s absence. Through this encouragement, he returned to playing with his toys.

When mom was gone, we also talked with her on the phone. Initially, Kenji did not want to use the FaceTime feature when talking to his mom because he said it would make him sad. Eventually, Kenji decided to talk to his mom on FaceTime. During the conversation, he said it was hard to see his mom’s face and not be with her. After that phone call, we stayed busy until mom’s return with school and various outings. [Read more…]