Tips on parenting during a pandemic.

Guru Gowrappan sat down for a discussion with power couple Glennon Doyle and Abby Wambach, who talked about raising children together during coronavirus and shared advice for getting through it together.

Glennon is the author of #1 New York Times bestsellers Untamed (a Reese’s Book Club selection) and Love Warrior (an Oprah’s Book Club selection), as well as the New York Times bestseller Carry On, Warrior. An activist and thought leader, Glennon is the founder and president of Together Rising, an all-women led nonprofit organization that has revolutionized grassroots philanthropy – raising over $25 Million for women, families and children in crisis.

Abby Wambach is a soccer icon, speaker, New York Times Best Seller and activist for equality and inclusion. She is a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and FIFA World Cup Champion. After winning the Women’s World Cup in 2015, Abby retired as one of the most dominant players in the history of women’s soccer. A true leader on and off the field, Abby is dedicating this next chapter of her career to fighting for equality and inclusion across industries.

What we learned from Abby and Glennon:

• To help cope during this challenging time, we’re trying to be easier on ourselves and each other.
• Abby: With two adults managing two careers, we have to constantly over communicate. We also consider our kids to be support staff.
• This intense family time is an opportunity as well as a challenge. We sometimes need to separate to different rooms for ten minutes to cool down.
• It’s a tough time to have small kids. Even if you are an experienced teacher, it’s harder teaching your own kids, so be easy on yourself.
• At the same time, it’s a call to greatness; for many kids, this is a first time of sacrifice and service.
• We try to get through one week at a time and not look any further ahead.
• As a generation, we were taught to be perfect parents, that we have all the answers; now that’s not true. Instead, we’ll keep adjusting as change happens and that’s ok.
• Physical activity is really a key to Abby staying positive. She has continued to train for a marathon and train her kids. It’s not easy as a kid to train with your parents.
• For Abby, the discipline of doing the activity she likes least first sets her up for success for the rest of the day.
• It’s hard when you lose something you have put your heart into, like Glennon’s book tour, which is devastating, and yet at the same time you feel shame because so many people are going through so much of a harder time.
• Glennon loves the word “crisis” because it literally means to sift, and in this time everything falls away and what’s left is our people and our seemingly small gifts that are actually world-changing.
• Abby talks about how no matter what is happening in the world, we can’t control that, but at the same time she has a desire to grow and knows she can always improve herself.
• We’re all in a constant state of anxiety; when you’re in close proximity, you have to be extra respectful of those around you in terms of simple things like closing cabinet doors, putting things away, etc.
• In many ways, everything has changed and yet nothing has changed. The snow has settled and all of our distractions are gone. Glennon believes in the “hustle” message but also that it’s vital to take care of ourselves at this time. The more tenderly we care for ourselves and those around us - lowering expectations - then the more productive we will actually be.

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