We met Amir and Ria last spring, just as the pandemic was upending lives, pushing working parents to scramble and ask: How can we possibly navigate so much upheaval with such little support? And how do we create a new normal that works for all of us?
How Working Parents Can Create a New Normal for Their Family
An exercise to help you uncover what you learned during the pandemic and what you want to take with you going forward.
October 06, 2021
Illustration by Cecilia Castelli
Summary.
Millions of working parents have endured nonstop waves of challenges and change during the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, as many face the return to the workplace, there is hope of a “return to pre-pandemic lives.” But there a lot of apprehension in figuring out what this next transition holds — and what we want it to hold — after a year and a half of carefully constructing a new balance and reality. As you face this next transition, it’s important to take the time and create a future that works for you, taking into consideration what you experienced during the pandemic. Draw a timeline of the months during the pandemic and mark the highs and lows. Circle the highs that you want to preserve and put an X next to the lows that need to change moving forward. Finally, outline ways that you can preserve the meaningful moments in your highs moving forward and adjust your schedule accordingly as you transition back into the workplace.