The Ultimate Guide to Parenting During the Pandemic
Jessica McNamara
| Last Updated: November 2021 There is an old African proverb that says: “it takes a village to raise a child”. Generally, people take this to mean that parents and the community will play a big role in shaping a child’s identity, mannerisms, and beliefs.
Unfortunately, the pandemic means most “villages” are now only as large as the confines of a single-story home. Because of this, it can be tougher to raise a child properly and holistically.
But worry not, because we’re here to help with a list of reliable resources for parenting during the pandemic. With this guide, you’ll have access to helpful information on child-rearing, mental support, children’s activities, nutritious recipes, and more.
General Resources
HelpGuide
Parenting during Coronavirus
A general guide covering schedules, online learning, and safety habits for kids.
UNICEF
Coronavirus (COVID-19) parenting tips
A compilation of tips for everything from child safety to proper communication.
Boston Children’s Hospital
Parenting in the age of COVID-19: Coping with six common challenges.
Offers various techniques to make parenting easier during the pandemic.
Healthy Children
COVID-19: What Families Need to Know
An article that tackles frequently asked questions about COVID.
National Association of School Psychologists
Helping Children Cope With Changes Resulting From COVID-19
Another article that covers challenges faced by both parents and children during the pandemic.
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Coronavirus: What to Do If Your Kids Stay Home
Outlines basic ways to help a child deal with life in a home quarantine setting.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Planning During the Coronavirus Pandemic
A general outline of how to plan out food and grocery purchases.
Children and Screens
12 TIPS FROM THE EXPERTS FOR PARENTING TEENS ON SCREENS DURING COVID-19
Basic parenting tips for households with teens and young adults.
Keeping Kids Safe From COVID-19
Harvard Health Publishing
Keeping teens home and away from friends during COVID-19
A guide for discouraging teens from social interactions during the pandemic.
Houston Methodist
5 Back-to-School Safety Tips During the COVID-19 Pandemic
An article outlining ways to prepare your child for school with a focus on vaccinations, protective measures, etc.
NPR
How To Keep Your Child Safe From The Delta Variant
Covers preventive and protective measures against COVID-19, with a focus on home quarantine procedures.
Everyday Health
How to Teach COVID-19 Safety to Your Kids
Covers habits that parents and children can adopt to be safer.
Safe Kids Worldwide
CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES TO KEEP KIDS SAFE FROM INJURIES
Offers various infographics on proper cleaning and household safety for kids.
VAW Learning Network
Keeping Children Safe During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Covers strategies to safeguard children’s health.
Reid Health
Keeping kids safe during the COVID-19 crisis
Additional habits to ingrain in children to help protect their health and safety.
KidsHealth
Coronavirus (COVID-19): How to Protect Babies and Toddlers
Offers insight on how to protect younger children from COVID.
Mayo Clinic
COVID-19 (coronavirus) in babies and children
Covers the effects of COVID on children along with prevention tips and care procedures.
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center
5 Ways To Protect Your Newborn During COVID-19
Covers physical signs to protect newborns from COVID.
UNICEF
Breastfeeding during the COVID-19 pandemic
Explores ways to safely breastfeed newborns.
Keeping Kids Active and Connected
UNICEF
5 ways to help keep children learning during the COVID-19 pandemic
Tips to help kids continue their education at home.
UCLA Health
How to keep kids safe & active at home during the pandemic
Covers the importance of kids staying active and explores possible physical activities.
Stanford Children’s Health
Keeping Your Family Physically Active in a Pandemic
Another article outlining possible ways to stay physically active.
Society of Behavioral Medicine
Keeping Kids Active during COVID-19
Covers ways to encourage physical activity and lists different sports and their risk factors.
American College of Sports Medicine
Keeping Children Active during the Coronavirus
Offers indoor activities, activity guidelines, and FAQs for children’s fitness.
Healthy Children
Youth Sports and COVID-19: Understanding the Risks
Offers useful infographics to measure the risk of COVID in various youth sports.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Considerations for Youth Sports
A full analysis of risk factors and safety precautions for youth sports.
Children’s Hospital Colorado
Age-Specific Schedules and Activities for Kids During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Underlines the importance of well-developed schedules to keep children active.
UNICEF
Indoor play ideas to stimulate young children at home
Lists household children’s activities according to age.
Australian Catholic University
Safeguarding children during COVID-19
An infographic that outlines various ways to keep children physically active and occupied.
Keeping Kids Safe Online
UNICEF
How to keep your child safe online while stuck at home during the COVID-19 outbreak
Covers ways to protect and educate children about online interactions.
U.S. Department of Justice
Keeping Children Safe Online
Also goes into online safety precautions with a focus on children’s actions.
eSafetyCommissioner
Keeping children safe online during the COVID-19 pandemic
Covers the channels and forms of cyber abuse, as well as how to deal with them.
nidirect
Social media, online gaming and keeping children safe online
A resource covering safety for various cyber interactions, with a focus on online games.
World Health Organization
COVID-19 Parenting – Keeping children safe online
A concise infographic with useful tips for online safety.
Australian Catholic University
Safeguarding children during COVID-19
Another infographic with a helpful FAQ section on children’s safety.
UNICEF
Keeping children safe online during the COVID-19 pandemic
Identifies cyber risks to children and ways to mitigate them during online interactions.
Internet Society
Kids, the Internet & COVID-19: How to keep our children safe online
A webinar outlining children’s Internet usage, risks and threats, and tools to help handle them.
U.S. Department of Justice
KEEPING CHILDREN SAFE ONLINE DURING COVID-19
An infographic with basic guidelines for online safety.
Child Mind Institute
Supporting Teenagers and Young Adults During the Coronavirus Crisis
COVID safety practices for parents with older children.
Supporting a Child’s Mental Health
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Staying at Home During COVID-19: How to Help Teens Cope
A guide to helping teens cope with stress from the pandemic.
Healthy Children
Mental Health During COVID-19: Signs Your Child May Need More Support
An article on mental health with a focus on dealing with the loss of a loved one.
Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center
Tough talks; how to discuss the Coronavirus with your child
An article that explores how to condition children to cope safely with the “new normal”.
Forbes
How Parents Can Support Children’s Mental Health During The COVID-19 Pandemic
A resource that explores the mental effects of the pandemic on children, adolescents, and teens.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Ensuring Children and Young People’s Social, Emotional, and Mental Well-being
Identifies various challenges to the mental health of children.
Australian Catholic University
Safeguarding children during COVID-19
An infographic that explores ways to keep children in a positive mindset.
Rutgers
Managing Children’s Mental Health During the Pandemic.
Examins pandemic stressors for children with a focus on anxiety and depression causes.
Healthy Eating for Kids
UNICEF
Feeding young children during the COVID-19 pandemic
Provides helpful eating habits and practices to keep children well-nourished.
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Lunch Ideas For Families Spending More Time At Home
Offers different recipes for at-home dining and an infographic classifying foods into groups.
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Building Immunity with Food
Explores recipes for immune-system-boosting foods and ideal sources for essential vitamins.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Childhood Nutrition Facts
Identifies basic benefits for healthy diets among children.
Healthy Children
Helping Kids Stay Active & Eat Healthy During COVID-19
An article underlining the risks of poor diets for children.
UNICEF
Easy, affordable and healthy eating tips during COVID-19
Contains general tips to maintain a nutritious diet.
World Health Organization
Feeding babies and young children during the COVID-19 outbreak
Guidelines on providing nutritious diets for babies and toddlers.
Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU
6 easy and healthy quarantine recipes you can do together as a family
A collection of quick and simple recipes to try during home quarantine.
That concludes our resource guide to parenting during the pandemic. As we compiled these resources, it was our aim to gather only the most reliable sources of information.
To ensure a level of consistency and quality, we only included non-profit domains, government websites, and medical journals. This combination of sources also provides a good mix of help with general parenting along with health and safety.
Parenting has always been a test of patience, love, wisdom and understanding. With this information it is our hope that no matter how small your village may be, your child will grow into an extraordinary individual all the same.
