Windsor: Parenting through the fall of democracy is no easy feat

September 4, 2026 - 04:44

It is not easy to hold yourself together in front of your kids while the country you grew up in slowly changes shape. You are trying to explain why some people are treated unfairly, why the news sounds angry all the time, and why grown-ups cannot seem to agree on basic facts. And you are doing this while making lunch, checking homework, and pretending you are not scared.

The truth is, parenting through a time of democratic decline is a strange kind of burden. There is no manual for it. You cannot just say "everything will be fine" because you are not sure it will be. And you cannot hide your own worry because children sense it anyway. They see you staring at your phone. They hear the heavy sigh when another headline drops.

But here is the thing. You do not have to have the right answers. You do not have to pretend you are strong all the time. What your kids need is not a perfect parent who has it all figured out. They need a parent who is willing to say "I do not know" and then sit with them in that uncertainty. They need to see you being honest about your feelings, even the messy ones. That is not weakness. That is teaching them how to be human.

So if you are feeling tired, or angry, or just plain worn out from carrying the weight of the world while also raising the next one, take a breath. You are not failing. You are doing the hardest job there is, and you are doing it in a time that makes it even harder. Give yourself some credit. And when you can, put the phone down, look at your kid, and just be there. That is enough. That is more than enough.