During the pandemic, parents, but especially mothers, are living under extreme stress and fatigue, trying to cope with the challenges of parenting and working while homeschooling, often without any support due to social isolation. In addition, as children are also affected by the pandemic, and parents need to ensure they feel safe, help manage their emotions, and sometimes deal with challenging behaviours.
Our guest speakers, Dr Lindsay Malloy and Dr Amanda Zelechoski, discussed these challenges and how the pandemic affects the mental health of mothers and children, and also suggested science-based tips and resources to help parents navigate pandemic parenting.
Dr Zelechoski is a licensed clinical and forensic psychologist and attorney at Valparaiso University, specialising in trauma, and Dr Malloy is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Ontario Tech University, specialising in developmental and forensic psychology. They’re co-founders of Pandemic Parent, a platform with science-based resources and bi-weakly webinars to support parents during the pandemic.