We’re Bored. Let’s Fight.

What I've learned from my daughters |

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SUBSCRIBE to TIME Magazine Under the best of circumstances, my kids fight a lot. Right now—far from the best of circumstances—they've made an art form of pushing each other's buttons and crashing boundaries. At the start of the pandemic, they forged an unexpected alliance and negotiated a truce. I guess that's what happens when you have no other playmates and your parents disappear to work all day and much of the night. Watching my girls bond was an unexpected source of joy for me. Well, that's over! Sixty-eight days in and the sisters are back to business as usual. When I say they can fight about anything, I mean anything. Who sits in the "best seat" on our couch and who gets the "best blanket" are grounds for combat—they even typed a schedule and posted it on our wall. I texted this picture of that schedule to a friend yesterday, mostly to make him laugh. But in exchanging stories about our kids and their bad behavior, I realized I'm also proud of mine for managing to find solutions. Kids often struggle with feeling oppressed by rules they're powerless to control. Now adults are in the same situation, and some are handling it better than others. I've spent 10 years trying to explain to my kids that the world isn't fair and the sooner they get on board with that, the happier they'll be. Now I'm struggling to walk my talk. I'm not upset about which seat I get on the couch, but wishing I could "go back to normal" feels just about as futile and immature. Everyone's angry. Many lives have been upended by this crisis, giving people real reason to feel rage. But even people like me, who are lucky enough not to be experiencing true loss (of job, of loved ones) are angry. What have you taught your kids that you could learn from right now? What are we learning that can help us understand our kids? Write to tell me at andrea@time.com. All the best, Andrea     MORE STORIES This week's cover story is about the class of 2020, and the ways its members will forever be shaped by the coronavirus pandemic.  High school seniors tell TIME what it's like to come of age during a health crisis.  Read kids' letters expressing their feelings about the pandemic.  Notre Dame's president outlines his plan for reopening the campus in the fall. It will be a college semester unlike any other.  It's Memorial Day weekend, traditionally a time of beach trips and backyard barbecues. It begs the question: Is there any way to safely socialize during this pandemic? TIME's technology reporter shares tips for staying sane while sharing a TV and a computer with the whole family. TIME for Kids has expanded our free digital library to include editions in Spanish, made possible by HP, and Chinese, made possible by Huawei and Tan Chong International Limited. Register for all versions at  time.com/tfk-free. TIME for Kids and our creativity partner Adobe launched episode 6 of our weekly creative interactive video series. This week, Drew and Rosie make master copies to explore the idea that copying art is a great way to sharpen your skills. To Unsubscribe You have received this e-mail because you are subscribed to this newsletter from TIME.com. Unsubscribe here. Update Email Click here to update your email address. Privacy Policy Please read our Privacy Policy, or copy and paste this link into your browser: https://time.com/privacy TIME may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. For Further Communication Please contact parents@time.com TIME USA, LLC 3 Bryant Park New York, NY 10036 Connect with TIME Find TIME on Facebook Follow TIME on Twitter Subscribe to more TIME Newsletters Get TIME on your Mobile Device Get TIME on your iPad Subscribe to RSS Feed