We’re spending more time than ever with our children, but experts say we need to consider how we spend our attention in their company.
by Cristina Odone, CSJ Head of Family
Schools are to remain closed until March 8 at the earliest – and likely beyond. For millions of parents, this delay beyond the original February half-term deadline feels like cruel punishment.
Schooling – from nursery to university – was supposed to stretch our children while offering us a respite. No longer. Our children are under our nose and in our space. Even before the pandemic struck, a recent study by The Economist found that we were spending more time with our children than in any previous generation. We all deserve medals for parenting.
Except that many of us have switched to automatic pilot when with our offspring. We think that because we are with them from morning till night, we are discharging our parental duty. There is no need to engage 100 per cent when we are with them 100 per cent of the time, surely?
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