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Published: April 21, 2020, 10:44 a.m.

A lot of you have asked for my thoughts on how we\u2019re dealing with the Pandemic as parents. In this week's episode of The Crystal Paine Show, Jesse and I share some of the ways we're approaching parenting right now and what's working for us.

As always, every child is different and you know your kids best, so I\u2019m only sharing how we are approaching things at our house... and these principles can be applied to many different seasons of upheaval.

Here are some of the strategies we share in this episode:

Don\u2019t dismiss your kids\u2019 feelings. Feelings are not right or wrong and no one can tell you how you feel or don\u2019t feel. It\u2019s what you choose to do with those feelings that matters most. Give them space to talk about whatever it is they are feeling \u2014 anger, sadness, loneliness, grief, frustration, boredom.

Don\u2019t preach sermons. I know it\u2019s easy to want to use this as a way to teach valuable life lessons... but probably way more than sermons, your kids just need a listening ear and empathy. And trust me, your kids ARE going to learn many valuable lessons from this, but a listening ear goes a long way to help them feel seen, heard, and loved.

Don\u2019t stress yourself out trying to get it all right. There is no manual on how to parent well through COVID-19. We\u2019re all just doing the best we can do! When you feel overwhelmed or unsure how to handle a situation, it\u2019s okay to acknowledge this and give yourself some grace. If you are a Christian, this is an amazing opportunity to cry out to the Lord for wisdom and direction for how to respond and love your kids well.

Do remember that you set the tone for your home. If you are extremely stressed and irritable, it\u2019s going to trickle down to your kids and make them feel stressed and on edge. Make sure you\u2019re not spreading yourself too thin so that you are completely zapped and exhausted.

Do relax some of your usual rules/standards. We are allowing a lot more sleeping in, PJ-wearing, screen time, and junk food eating than usual. Yes, I probably just lost some followers over admitting that, but I feel like a lot has been taken away from our kids right now and as long you\u2019re doing your chores and school, I\u2019m pretty chill about a lot of other things in this season.

Do look for the humor in everything. We\u2019ve laughed so hard as a family in the last few weeks \u2014 over so many ridiculous things. Laughter has been such good medicine for us and we\u2019ve sought to find the funny in the ordinary.\xa0

Important Note: This will be the last episode we'll be releasing until the end of May as I'll be on Maternity Leave until then. We do plan to pop on once during Maternity Leave to do an episode on my birth story. Look for that in the next few weeks!

In This Episode:\xa0

[03:00] Jesse and I are both reading fiction books right now.

[06:35] L\u2019Oreal magic root cover up is saving my life right now. Jesse is loving the Couch to 5k Program.\xa0

[12:20] Don\u2019t discount your kids\u2019 feelings.\xa0

[18:03] Stop trying to get it all right.\xa0

[20:36] Remember that you set the tone for your home.\xa0

[23:21] Consider relaxing some of your usual rules.

[25:16] Look for the humor in everything.\xa0

[28:20] What is working in your home?\xa0

Links and Resources:

• The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe
• Savage Son by Jack Carr
• L\u2019Oreal Magic Root Cover Up
• Couch to 5k
• MoneySavingMom.com
• YourBloggingMentor.com
• My Instagram account\xa0(I\u2019d love for you to follow me there! I usually hop on at least a few times per day and share behind-the-scenes photos and videos, my grocery store hauls, funny stories, or just anything I\u2019m pondering or would like your advice or feedback on!)
• Have feedback on the show or suggestions for future episodes or topics?\xa0Send me an email:\xa0crystal@moneysavingmom.com

How to Listen to The Crystal Paine Show

The podcast is available on\xa0iTunes,\xa0Android,\xa0Stitcher, and\xa0Spotify. You can\xa0listen online through the direct player here. OR, a much easier way to listen is by subscribing to the podcast through a free podcast app on your phone. (Find instructions for\xa0how to subscribe to a podcast here.)

Ready to dive in and listen? Hit the player above or search for \u201cThe Crystal Paine Show\u201d on your favorite podcast app.

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