Raising and Educating Our Children During Uncertain Times

April 28, 2025

How to stay grounded and seek balance—at home, at school and in our community

by Dr. Karyn Ewart

We were featured on Arlington Magazine!

Teacher and Student working at a table together.

Since the new administration took office, there’s been a noticeable surge of anxiety in our community and across the DMV. Many of us are grappling with a sense of unease, unsure how to navigate the wave of political shifts without being consumed by them. Fundamental rights that once felt secure now feel uncertain, and the question that keeps rising to the surface is: how best to protect ourselves and our children? As parents and caregivers, we’re caught between the need to stay informed and not wanting to get caught up in the chaos. What truly deserves our attention and what’s just noise?

My concern grew when I saw that 17 Attorney Generals were suing the Federal Government, asking a judge to declare Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act unconstitutional. This act says that if a program or agency receives federal money, it can’t discriminate against people with disabilities and must provide them equal access to benefits, services, programs and educational opportunities. This declaration seems to be part of a strategic attack on the most vulnerable in our society: immigrants, individuals of color, women, the LGBTQIA community, those who are disabled and our youth.

As an educator and head of The Sycamore School (TSS), I constantly wonder how we can better protect our children in this climate. I founded The Sycamore School with the goal of creating a safe space where students can be their authentic selves with the freedom to learn and grow.

But how do we provide guidance and support when our fundamental rights and values seem to be called into question?

At The Sycamore School, we don’t receive federal funding, which decreases our risk of being targeted by these changes. As an independent private school, we have more flexibility to cultivate all aspects of our curriculum and culture to align with our values. However, in my work email, I started receiving fake information created to scare me, stating that even independent private schools could lose their nonprofit status if they didn’t adhere to the mandates being forced on schools, including blatant anti-transgender practices.

Instead of getting sucked into the chaos, I chose to dig into these emails and figure out what was really behind these targeted tactics designed to distract and overwhelm us.

My takeaway? We must stay grounded and seek balance—at home, at school and in our communities.

Right now, our children are looking to us to understand how to react and manage the information we’re flooded with. As parents, teachers and school leaders, we need to model thoughtful insights and actions:

  1. Investigate sources and seek out sound research
  2. Decide what to focus on and how to manage our feelings
  3. Determine what to let go of and what to lean into
  4. Figure out the best way to advocate for ourselves and what’s important to us

Daily Check-ins

At school, I check in with our students during our daily morning meeting to see what’s on their minds. We talk about everything from LGBTQIA+ rights and how to have a civil debate to preferred music and pets.

At home, family conversations are important. Make time to discuss what’s on your children’s minds. Try to help them sift through the information they receive to discern rumors from facts. Regularly check in with your child—see what they’re thinking about. What’s on their minds? It may be quite different from what you think.

If you’re raising a middle school student, this could be a challenge. As parents, we must be cognizant of those moments when our kids want to engage with us and work hard to be present when they arise. I found that my kids would want to talk with me when I was engaged in a task—driving, on my computer or cooking dinner. I think having serious talks while I was doing something else made it feel less intimidating.

Make Time For Fun

Now, more than ever, it’s important to identify what brings us joy and lean into that. This is one of the reasons, at TSS, we have limited to no homework for our students. It allows them more time to explore, socialize and discover their passions outside of school, which is crucial after a hard day of learning.

Does your family like hiking, watching movies, reading books or painting? Find activities that your family enjoys doing together. Make sure your kids are spending time creating, socializing and moving their bodies. For the sake of both you and your child, carve out some time to be present with them. It will benefit everyone. Take on a chore together and make it fun. Play cards. Read a book or pick a house project to do together. Go for a walk.

Get Involved

When the world feels overwhelming, it can be grounding to get involved in something where you feel like you’re making a difference, even in a small way. It brings back a sense of control and purpose. Find an organization you want to support and get involved as a family. It could be a church, homeless shelter, food bank, literacy program, theatre group or art co-op. There are over 300 nonprofit organizations in Arlington County alone. At TSS, community service is one of our three core values. On Fridays, we take our students into the community, prioritizing acts of service throughout the year. These are often some of our students’ favorite moments.

Manage Screen Time

More than ever, it’s time to get a handle on screens. For kids and adults, too much screen time can negatively impact mental health. We are all vulnerable to misinformation within our social media ecosystem. Still, children are particularly susceptible to being exposed to and overwhelmed by content they may not know how to handle or navigate.

Work with your children to establish guidelines and regularly have conversations to check in on their social media use. At TSS, we limit phone access to give students a break from being overly exposed to or influenced by online content. Spending hours on a phone doomscrolling helps no one and can exacerbate feelings of hopelessness and overwhelm.

According to child and adolescent psychiatrist and psychotherapist Dr. Clifford Sussman, when providing oversight on your children’s use of electronics, it’s about balancing screen time with low-dopamine activities. If your child spends an hour playing a video game, they should spend the next hour taking a walk, reading a book or playing a board game.

Mental Health Starts with Me

Part of protecting your children is protecting yourself. First, think about how best to take care of yourself. You need to figure out how to navigate overwhelming emotions. The way you work through a tough situation is a model for your children. Talking with trusted friends, seeking professional support and finding time for self-care are all essential strategies.

Next, to what extent do you share what’s going on with your children? As the saying goes, “little pitchers have big ears.” Your kids know when something is wrong. It’s best to be honest. How specific or detailed you are depends. You don’t want to give them more information than they can

handle. However, being upfront with your emotions and admitting that you’re stressed is honest and preferable to snapping or yelling because of the stress.

Know Your Rights

Knowing your rights and your child’s rights is crucial. There is a lot of misinformation floating around, and it can be difficult to determine what a rumor or suggestion is versus a mandate.

Here are some resources to explore if you are interested in learning more about your rights and how to advocate for you and your child.

Here are some great Arlington-based nonprofit organizations where you and your child can volunteer:

Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC)

Animal Welfare League of Arlington (AWLA)

Aspire! Afterschool Learning

Culpepper Gardens

Doorways

Volunteer Arlington

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