Parenting Then and Now: How Raising Kids Has Changed from 2020’s Lockdowns to 2025’s New Normal
Introduction: A World Transformed for Parents and Kids
If you were raising kids in 2020, odds are your life was turned upside down by the COVID-19 lockdowns. Homes became classrooms, playgrounds, and offices all at once. Advice for managing the chaos came from every corner of the internet—and sometimes from desperate, late-night Google searches. Fast-forward to 2025, and the world of parenting, education, and youth sports looks dramatically different. In this blog, we’ll compare three vital aspects of parenting across these five years: how parents get advice, how kids receive education, and how school athletics operate, with a look at what’s changed, what’s stayed, and what it means for families now.
From Forums to Conferences: How Parenting Advice Has Evolved
Navigating Uncertainty: Seeking Advice in 2020
During the lockdowns of 2020, parents faced a deluge of uncertainty. Advice was often crowdsourced from online parenting groups, social media, and virtual meet-ups. Major platforms like Facebook, Reddit, and specialized parenting forums buzzed with stories about remote learning hacks, screen-time battles, and mental health struggles. Wellness professionals and school counselors held webinars to address immediate parental anxieties. With pediatricians’ offices difficult to access and in-person support vanished, many parents said digital communities kept them afloat. While raising our oldest, who was 2 during the lockdowns, trips to the doctor’s office for her appointments only happened when absolutely necessary, otherwise we turned to telephone based appointments, as many did at that time.
Shifting to Specialized Support in 2025
Flash to 2025, and advice for parents is not just abundant—it’s more specialized, more professional, and more community-driven than ever. Conferences like MothersEsquire (“a conference celebrating mothers working in the legal profession” Above the Law) unite parent-professionals to share insights, foster mentorship, and discuss work-life integration. There’s a broader push for systemic family support, with the federal government even considering programs like a $5,000 ‘baby bonus’ to encourage healthy family growth (ABC News). While online communities still exist, today’s parents often look to expert-backed platforms, hybrid in-person/virtual events, and advocacy groups that drive policy as well as personal advice.
Key Shift: The migration from anonymous, general online crowdsourcing to targeted, career- and context-specific support networks, including professional events and policy advocacy. Advice is less panicked and more proactive, addressing not only immediate needs but larger structural challenges for families.
Virtual Lessons to Hybrid Learning: How Kids Receive Education
2020: Zoom School and Lost Connections
When schools shuttered in 2020, children’s education moved online overnight. Parents became de facto teachers and IT help desks. While remote learning kept kids and teachers physically safe, research now calls school closures the “most catastrophic consequence” of COVID-19 interventions (Fox News Radio), with many students left behind academically and socially. Tools like Google Classroom and Zoom enabled basic instruction, but the lack of in-person connection and uneven internet access magnified learning gaps, especially for lower-income students.
2025: Hybrid Models, EdTech, and a Return to Community
By 2025, most schools have reopened, but the legacy of remote learning persists. Educational approaches now blend in-person instruction with online modules and AI-driven personalized learning. Federal initiatives focus on AI literacy and teacher training to prepare students for a digital future (Warren Schuitema Blog). There’s a renewed emphasis on childhood mental health, inclusion, and hands-on learning lost during lockdowns, as well as targeted catch-up for kids most impacted by the pandemic.
Higher education mirrors these shifts: college costs have continued to rise, but there is increased pressure on schools to demonstrate real-world value and adaptability (CNBC). Parents advocate aggressively for student support, and students navigate a more complex, hybrid academic landscape from K-12 to college.
Key Shift: Education has moved from emergency-driven, isolated “Zoom school” models to integrated hybrid learning that leverages tech for personalization while re-centering mental wellness, in-person interaction, and real-world equity. More online-based schools for younger students have also become available, offering more flexibility to families that have kept to work-from-home jobs and remote work.
From Empty Fields to Inclusive (and Debated) Play: School Athletics 2020 vs. 2025
2020: Athletics on Pause, Physical and Mental Consequences
For young athletes, 2020 was a year like no other—fields and courts went dark. High school sports were canceled or postponed, college recruiting faded, and youth fitness suffered. Teams shifted to solo workouts and virtual training, but students missed out on the camaraderie, competition, and structure that sports provide. The aftershocks—declining physical activity, rising anxiety, missed scholarships—were felt well into subsequent years.
2025: Return, Resilience, and Ongoing Culture Wars
By 2025, student athletics have made a comeback, but not all is as it was. School teams are back in full force (with spring football already here, as covered by the LA Times) and summer camps are thriving (FingerLakes1). Yet, the landscape is marked by new complexities: eligibility controversies, debates over trans athlete participation, and increased regulatory oversight (Fox News). School districts introduce new policies to reinforce or limit inclusion, and athletic programs face both funding challenges and new spotlights on fairness and mental health.
Key Shift: Athletics have rebounded, but today’s programs grapple with broader policy debates, equity discussions, and efforts to rebuild physical and social skills lost in the pandemic’s aftermath.
Final Thoughts: Parenting for the Future
The differences between 2020 and 2025 run deeper than just masks and Zoom. Parents have evolved from crisis managers to proactive community builders. Education has evolved from makeshift remote lessons to AI-driven, hybrid, and holistic learning. Athletics has gone from silent fields to complex spaces balancing tradition, inclusion, and resilience. If there’s one lasting lesson, it’s that families, schools, and communities are still learning and adapting—together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Are parents still as reliant on social media groups for advice as they were in 2020?
A: Not as much. While online groups remain, parents increasingly turn to organized support networks, professional communities, conferences, and advocacy organizations for trusted, expert-guided help.
Q: Has education fully gone back to normal?
A: No. The “new normal” is more hybrid, tech-enabled, and recovery-focused, with lasting attention to learning gaps, student mental health, and digital literacy.
Q: Did all school athletics return to pre-pandemic status?
A: Most programs have resumed, but debates over gender policies, eligibility, and funding mean school athletics are more subject to policy scrutiny and culture-war debates than before.
Q: Where can I learn more about modern parenting and education trends?
A: Explore sources like this executive order on AI in schools, major parenting conferences, and reputable education advocacy organizations for the latest insights and community support.
The parenting journey is ongoing, but with greater clarity, resources, and adaptability, families are better equipped to face what comes next.
About the Author
Warren Schuitema is the founder of Matchless Marketing LLC, an AI consulting firm dedicated to helping businesses harness the power of artificial intelligence for growth and innovation. As a Certified AI Consultant trained by industry experts, Warren specializes in AI integration, strategic planning, and tools that deliver measurable results. His expertise bridges the gap between complex AI technologies and practical business applications, making him a trusted advisor for companies navigating the AI revolution.
With a background in demand planning, forecasting, and digital marketing, Warren brings a data-driven approach to every project. His hands-on experience includes designing custom AI solutions that enhance creativity, streamline operations, and improve efficiency. Passionate about empowering businesses, Warren has also developed bespoke AI tools and workflows tailored to meet unique client needs.
Beyond his professional pursuits, Warren is a father and AI enthusiast who believes in the power of technology to enrich both personal and professional lives. Whether helping businesses scale or exploring innovative AI solutions for family life, Warren’s approach combines deep technical knowledge with a commitment to human connection and real-world impact.
