This is a continuation of our one year project. If you are a new listener to the show, we do have a lot of back episodes where you can search and find information that you’re looking for starting with Episode 239.
Today, my co-host Barbara Mock and I talk about something that she’s struggling with. Barbara is a grandma and she has seen the struggles that young families are having. She works through her feelings and her ideas on how she can help her own children and grandchildren deal with the pandemic. Perhaps listening to this bonus episode of the rock your retirement show can give you some ideas as well.
Online Class Struggles
In a time of the COVID pandemic, it’s really causing you to think about what to do every day. One of the things that everyone’s been struggling with is the fact that kids are not in school for the most part. So what Barbara did was that she planned and took off a week’s vacation to go help with my two grandchildren. getting them started with online school. Barbara wasn’t sure what to expect but she loves kids.
Barbara loves teaching but it was so hard to walk a mile and her daughter’s shoes. You’ve got a first grader and a four-year-old. She was so exhausted, it was difficult for her grandson, but he soldiered through. Constantly getting kicked off of the Zoom call. It just wasn’t what Barbara consider to be the best learning environment. She realized being in three places, as a mom, doing the groceries, going to work, keeping these kids occupied, and trying to educate them. It’s just almost more than a person can bear.
While Barbara was happy to help her daughter with the kids, it felt kind of sad, to turn around and go home. And there she was, working through it. But it’s been very, very difficult. That is why Barbara has empathy for young moms.
We’re All Feeling Stress During this Pandemic
it’s easy to kind of have the old adage of children should be seen and not heard because kids need to move and they need to laugh and they need to sing. During this time, we’re all feeling stress and we’re underestimating it. We all manifest that stress or deal with that stress in many different ways. Some of us lash out, some of us are irritable, some of us are withdrawn or depressed.
Kids on the other hand have a hard time putting this in any sort of logic. When they see their parents or grandparents being stressed, a lot of times those meltdowns are just their way of trying to cope. They don’t have the ability or the skills that we have to hide it. Sometimes I think we should just scream just to let it out. But kids do say that.
Having Time to Help Out Through This Pandemic
Retirees have the opportunity to help this generation through this pandemic time by just being creative. Not saying you know, jeopardize your life, but certainly, with a mask, social distancing, just doing things outdoors, or even just helping out saying, I’ll pick up a pizza and deliver it. There are just so many things, that we weren’t in the habit of doing. We need to kind of change it up a little bit, just to provide that extra encouragement and support for these young women are facing.
It’s time for us, as parents, grandparents friends, to step up and maybe stand in the gap just a little bit safer, to help these kids and these grandkids.
Read all of Barbra’s blog posts by visiting https://www.rockyourretirement.com/blog/
Mentioned in this episode:
Barbara’s Amazing Retirement Journey: Section 1
This post of Retirement and Retirement Lifestyle first appeared on http://RockYourRetirement.com
Kathe Kline has been working with retirees for over 25 years. She discovered that retirement is not just about money and insurance, but is also about: Social & Family; Adventure & Travel; Volunteer & Philanthropy; Spirit & Soul, Sexual issues, and Sandwich Generation issues or helping your Family members as they age
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