Healthy marriage and parenting during the Covid-19 pandemic

Marriage and parenting can be huge challenges at the best of times. Now imagine the added difficulties and complexities due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Around the world, there are increase in marital physical and emotional abuse, alcoholism, substance abuse and divorce and separation during the pandemic.

Marriage is an official and sacred institution that is meant to contribute enormously to our personal and societal well-being. Thus, it’s crucially important to know each other’s characters and values before getting married. In addition, there should be good communication and open consultation that are well established for healthy marriage and parenting.

If your marriage is healthy and functional, all the major decisions about the family are made in real partnership. The unity of the family should take priority over any other consideration. You will cope much better in these trying times like the confinement and lockdown of the pandemic. There are a lot of additional responsibilities and challenges, like living closely together 24/7, helping with the online education of the children, the financial burden of unemployment, and so on.

If your employment has been affected by the pandemic, you have a huge additional financial concern, even if you are eligible to governmental assistance. It’s important to manage your money and other resources very effectively. Otherwise, this could lead to stress, disagreement and dispute among the couples.

With the intermittent temporary closures of schools, parents have the additional chores of taking care of the children during the weekdays, as well as helping them with the virtual learning. It is not evident that most parents are equipped with the patience, discipline, and knowledge to do so with the digital technology.

In order to overcome all the extra issues and challenges, as parent you should take good care of yourself and each other first. You should exercise, communicate, consult and pray together regularly. In these challenging times, you need to have much patience with each other and with your children. You may have to forgive and ask for forgiveness for your sudden burst of frustration and anger. It’s also important to give your children a voice and listen to them.

For single parents, childless couples, and aging parents living in long care homes, there may be added challenges like, financial stress, lack of a support system, isolation, depression, and not having visits and hugs from their loved ones.

It is therefore very important to be thoughtful, kind and compassionate to each other and our loved ones. Make the extra effort to connect, keep in touch and visit your loved ones, if it’s allowed and possible with social distancing and masks as necessary.