For pandemic-weary parents, is March Break really a break?

Professor Lindsey Jaber and lecturer Kimberly Hillier, both researchers in the UWindsor Faculty of Education, explore that question in an article published this week in The Conversation, an online publication that shares news and views from the academic and research community.

While some families may be going away on vacation, some burned-out moms and dads are looking for other ways to rest and rejuvenate, they write.

“Since the pandemic erupted, working parents have been balancing their work and their children’s intermittent bouts of virtual learning, along with the many other parenting challenges.”

Family activity nights, spending time in nature, doing physical activities, and reducing screen time are among the ways they propose for parents to recharge and connect with children without a vacation.

“This March Break, making a conscious effort to ensure everyone gets a little more rest and allows their minds to wander and bodies to enjoy the outdoors or physical games together even if just for a short time,” they write.

“This can help give your brain the break it needs, and also create more space to be present with each other.”

Read the entire piece, “Is March Break really a break? How pandemic-weary parents can recharge and connect with children without a vacation,” in the Conversation.

—Sarah Sacheli