Commentary: A ‘no screens’ parenting style can’t exist in a post-COVID world
The pandemic has led parents to rethink the rules of parenting, with many looking for a simpler approach in an age of 24-hour news and constant exposure to digital and social media.
The coronavirus pandemic, which emerged in China in December and spread worldwide from there, has led some parents to question what it means to be a parent or take a hands-off approach when it comes to kids being digital, social and, increasingly, technology-dependent.
“We live in a time where we’re not used to parents being this hands-off,” says Tanya Weyandt, who wrote about the issue for the New York Times. “We’re used to parents wanting their kids to be hands-on and take things into their own hands, and we’re used to parents being the authority figures in their kids’ lives.”
The key to a good parenting strategy in this post-pandemic world, she says, lies in two things: first, parents need to set up clear, consistent rules to make sure the kids don’t get themselves into trouble and, second, they need to offer them support while also ensuring that they are not overwhelmed by their responsibilities, “whereas in the past we have assumed that the best thing to do is to be the ones who do everything,” Weyandt says. “The way to be the best parent, it turns out, is to actually be the best parent by setting a limit and having rules about what the rules are and then being the best at doing what is expected of you.”
An online campaign to encourage more hands-off parenting in a post-pandemic world.
In April, an online campaign encouraging parents to be more hands-off with their kids went viral, with parents posting about their experiences with strict rules
