COVID-19stay-at-home orders initiated perhaps one of the greatest social experiments of all time when it comes to parenting.
Schools switched to remote online learning.
For some people, relationship roles shifted dramatically too, as parents navigated new domestic dynamics.
Antonio Rodriguez via Adobe Stock
Heres what they learned when #dadlife got flipped upside down.
We quickly adjusted to the nest being full again.
In fall 2019, we dropped off our youngest son at James Madison University.
I said to my wife, Betsy, Are you ready for just me?
Our son didnt return to college after spring break and started to take classes online from home.
Then, our adult twins decided to come home and have meals made and laundry done for free.
We quickly adjusted to the nest being full again.
We each took separate areas of the house.
Everyone respected each others space and noise level for Zoom calls and the like.
Teachers are angels in disguise and dont get paid near enough for what they do.
Ariel Owens-Barham, stay-at-home dad of a 9-year-old son
Tuning into my daughter was a game changer.
The problem was me.
Babies cry and thats normal.
I just needed time to better understand her cues and whether she actually needed something.
That was a game changer, especially for my wife.
I think I stressed her out more than our daughter!
Sebastian, my son, was my greatest teacher during the pandemic.
His nimble mind and MacGyver-like skills showed me what was possible during lockdown.
I know it sounds like bragging but, wow, the kid nailed it.
Your children are not your children.
They go their own way.
They have their own ideas and trajectories.
They are in your house but not of your house.
We even developed an end-of-the-day sharing circle that we continue to do.
My job used to take a lot of my attention, focus, and energy.
Every day brought with it a new challenge.
So during the summers I had a plan for the girls every single day.
They loved our adventures.
For example, we live near the Russian River in Sonoma County, California.
We had never been there, even though weve lived here for 15 years.
We went to the river more than 40 times during the summer of 2020.
It became our playground and the kids loved it.
Before the pandemic, I saw all my clients in person at my gym.
This meant that the kids would be asleep when I left for work and asleep when I got home.
And they could finally see what it is that dad does when hes away.
The pandemic brought a seismic shift in how I work now, which is almost exclusively from home.
Will Znidaric, documentary film editor, father of a 17-month-old son
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