Since mid-March we have all been experiencing strange and turbulent times. Everything has been suspended from school closures to working from home or furlough for many of us, and there has been plenty of information coming out trying to help us make sense of this strange new world.

It can feel overwhelming and confusing, scary, and unfamiliar. Please do not think you are alone in feeling this way, everyone is struggling with a range of complications and challenges now. We are all having to navigate new ways of working, supporting our families, as well as now taking on the additional challenge of meeting all our children’s needs at home 24/7. Whilst this has created some difficult circumstances for many of us, we need to make sure we are all taking time to focus on the important things too.

Being at home all day with our families can be tough, but it’s also a great time to enjoy and explore new things together. It’s important to remember that for all the worries we have, our children will be experiencing similar anxieties so doing familiar things and things you enjoy will help support everyone’s wellbeing. If education at home is not working for you, don’t panic about it, don’t put yourselves and children under pressure to achieve schoolwork if it’s just not happening. The most important thing you can do is put your mental wellbeing first. Helping our families feel safe, secure, and happy during these uncertain and confusing times is all that anyone can ask of us as parent carers.

With the limited access to therapy and support services, we need to make sure we are prioritising the right things and not worrying about things that, although important, can be paused for a short period of time. If we can find new and creative ways to segment learning into our children’s day with little disruption and challenge from them, brilliant. But do not beat yourselves up if you are not managing to do as much as you wanted or felt like you should achieve.

Our lives are not the chocolate box, Instagram friendly version that we often see portrayed across social media by so many other parents. They are much like everyone else’s lives, but with some extra complexities. So, do not try to compare your daily achievements with other peoples. Do what works for you and keep going.

Things will not always be easy, and sometimes we may need to reach out for some extra help. There are some amazing services who have adapted to this new world to help us out there, many of them will be featured throughout these newsletters and on the Local Offer, as well as via PACCs social media pages.

Please contact First Point Of Contact at Shropshire Council, a suitable professional known to your family, or use PACCs Facebook groups to connect with other parent carers if you feel you need support.

While things may seem difficult now, please remember this quote:
“When life throws you a rainy day, play in the puddles!”

Zara and Sarah - PACC