Give Parents of Young Children Grace as They Adjust to the 'New Normal'

Give us grace.

The families of the very little children, the vulnerable children, the immunocompromised children, the children who are still too young for the vaccine.

Give us grace.

The families whose children have been isolated for their safety — and yours — for the last two years. The families who are just starting to dip our toes back into living outside the walls of our little “bubbles.”

Give us grace.

The “first-time-since-pre-pandemic” outdoor diners, shoppers, and visitors to public spaces.

Give us grace.

Because it’s not that we didn’t want to be out here with all of you, it’s just that we’ve been protecting our little ones, our high-risk ones, and our whole hearts — the ones who couldn’t protect themselves.

Give us grace.

Because before the pandemic hit, our kids may not have been walking. They may not have experienced a store, a museum, or an outdoor restaurant outside of a stroller. So to them, the world, so big and wide and (slowly) opening for us, is brand-new.

Give us grace.

While we learn how to live in the world. While we explore it. While we find our footing, our “new normal.”

Give us grace.

We will give it back in spades.