Pandemic struggles worse for parents with children under 5, pediatricians say

Raising children is hard. Raising them during a pandemic is even tougher.

"Right now everybody’s struggling with the pandemic for a lot of different reasons and families of children under five are particularly struggling," explained Dr. Lee Savio Beers, the former president of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Beers said she thinks that’s the case for several reasons, including the lack of a vaccine for children that young, the recent surge in COVID-10 cases, and, the impact of those cases on various forms of childcare.

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"I have one good friend and colleague who has two small children over the age of five who are both in childcare, and they have actually been home on either quarantine or isolation for almost a full month," Beers explained. "Between one child getting exposed and then infected, and then the parents getting infected, and then the second child getting infected, and it’s been hard and draining and stressful."

So, what should these families do? Beers recommends families reach out to their extended support systems. 

Also, she said to remember that you may not get all of your work projects done, and the house may be a mess, but that’s ok – parents in that situation are far from alone.

"We are gonna get through this," Beers added, "and we’re gonna get through it together."