Coronavirus– parenting through a pandemic

My suggestions to separating parents is always to try to see things from the children’s perspective and to try to offer reassurance and also uniformity when making plans for who they live and spend time with, so that their children understand what to expect.

Nevertheless, throughout a pandemic that is tough to achieve: with support changing, infection rates raising and also concern growing, staying calm becomes significantly difficult. Parents will usually have different perspectives on what is safe and what is acceptable.

The uncertainty was highlighted when Boris Johnson, during his Downing Street press conference suggested with a caution to check the advice that a child living in a medium house might not be able to spend time with a parent in a higher tier area.

Whilst the advice is definitely clear that in all tiers there is an exemption to the rules regarding different households gathering where children spend time between the houses of their separated moms and dads, it was not clear that the same freedom applies when it concerns taking a trip in between tiers for contact plans.

Whilst spending time with each parent might not generally be called ‘childcare’ as this normally refers to a person besides the parents taking care of the kids, it appears to apply to separated parents in this circumstance.

Childcare arrangements under new guidelines

The new guidelines relating to events and households mixing include exemptions for childcare arrangements, whether they are of an official nature nannies, nurseries and also childminders or an informal nature loved ones. There are additionally exemptions for the legal gathering limit of monitored activities attended to youngsters including wraparound treatment, young teams, and tasks as well as youngsters’ playgroups.

Where there is an informal childcare setup this is called remaining in a ‘childcare bubble’. The guidelines specify that different households can mix where informal childcare is being offered to a child aged 13 or under.

This will certainly, no question, come as a relief to every one of those parents who rely on childcare arrangements as a source of support and to allow them to work and provide their family members.

Interaction can help in the absence of certainty or clarity

Interaction is vital to finding solutions to issues in relation to children. With uncertainty and usually stress and anxiety in regard to analysing advice and also staying safe, it is necessary to try to express to your former partner what your problems are and to listen to and try to recognise their concerns. Taking advice as to the criteria within which to work can really help to find solutions during this difficult time. As ever before, it is so important to put the needs and best interests of your children at the heart of all discussions.