Lately, I’ve felt guilty about my own family’s privilege. My husband and I have been able to work from home, our kids Zoomed and now are back in the classroom, and we got tutors during the summer to make sure they’re all caught up. It worries me that there are families who can’t afford that extra learning, and I want to do more to help. Where can I start? —Anne, 39, Michigan This is such an important question! Let’s start by sidelining guilt. Guilt is a solo activity rooted in looking backward, and what we need right now for our kids—especially those with fewer resources—is collective progress forward, fast. Think action, not guilt. You’re absolutely right to worry about a lopsided recovery for our kids. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights reports that the pandemic widened essentially every pre-existing disparity in access to education. Students of color, students with disabilities, and kids in rural and high-poverty school districts (millions of whom relied on school for everything from breakfast to wifi) have a much, much steeper hill to climb. I spoke to Shalinee Sharma, co-founder of the non-profit curriculum publisher, Zearn, which partnered with economists to track the recovery of kids’ progress in math. Sharma described to me what’s happening as a “K-shaped recovery.” (Picture kids who had resources climbing the top arm of the K, and kids who didn’t slide down the bottom leg, the two groups further apart than ever.) For a detailed look at those disparities and the ways the federal administration is committing funding to solving them, I recommend reading this report. And as for what you and your husband can do, even if you’re still somewhat in emergency mode yourselves, try these five ideas: View this post on Instagram
A post shared by PARADE (@parade.media) Next, Lauren Smith Brody offers boredom-busting ideas for parents. As an entrepreneur who can’t quit journalism, Brody writes regularly about the intersection of business and motherhood for, among others, The New York Times, Slate, Bloomberg Businessweek, and Elle, and pens advice columns for Parade Media and the children’s brand Maisonette. Brody is on the board of the early education nonprofit Docs for Tots. A longtime leader in the women’s magazine industry, she was previously the executive editor of Glamour magazine. Raised in Ohio, Texas, and Georgia, she now lives in New York City with her husband, two sons, and rescue puppy.
