Over the course of the past thirty days, the world has become a terrifying place for our children. Our children have gone from being able to go to school, and play outside with their friends, to being restricted from their normal social routine. That’s scary in the best of situations. When we add in the circumstances of this virus pandemic, it’s absolutely terrifying for our children. Over the last month, I have spoken to children who have been afraid that their family members are going to die, children who are afraid that aliens are going to invade the earth, children who are afraid we are all going to die, and children who are afraid that the world is just going to end somehow.

The other issue currently is that our children inundated with secondary news. They are around us talking about the virus, they overhear us listening to the news, they are overhearing adults talking about politics, etc. We really need to monitor the exposure our children have to news, social media, and talk about COVID, etc. It’s also important to make sure our children are not spending a significant amount of time on television or video games stimulating their brains and creating more behavioral issues. 

We want to supply you with some positive ways to help your children feel safe and supportive. Our suggestions include:

1. Create And Establish Routines: Routines create a sense of safety and structure during times of insecurity and trauma. We are not talking super rigid routines that have no flexibility, or room to breathe. What we are suggesting is to provide some flexible guidelines and some comfortable routines. Some of the important things to keep in mind include keeping bedtimes and waking times the same, keep mealtimes as near the same time as possible, etc. 

2. Know When Your Child Is Not Okay: In most cases, your child is not going to say that they are not okay. They are rarely going to use those words. They are typically going to act out, they are going to misbehave, they are going to say they are fine while very much behaving like the opposite. Children with anxiety are going to complain of stomach aches. Children with depression are typically going to withdraw and shut down. Watch your child and know the signs and symptoms of what is typical of what is going on with their behaviors. 

3. Get Outside, Safely: Helping your children get fresh air and sunlight definitely helps their mood and behaviors. Do things like plant seeds, take a walk, play with chalk, just play outside and enjoy time outside together. Just remember to keep social distancing in mind.

4. Make Masks Together: This can become such a fun project! Learning to sew with your child, or even teaching your child to sew, and sewing masks together is a great coping skill. Any time you do something that is creative, you are stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system, and that’s a healthy coping skill. 

5. Establish New Family Routines: This can consist of anything you want it to, and make sure to get super creative. Maybe it’s board games, maybe it’s making dinner together as a family, maybe one person makes a different part of the family dinner, pick a television series you can watch together, watch a family movie, find ways to have fun, find ways to laugh, play charades, make a scavenger hunt, etc.

6. Teach Them What You Wished You Knew: I’m sure you can think of at least one thing you wish someone had taught you as a child, that you had to find a way to learn on your own. This is a great time to teach your children those same skills. Not in six-hour segments, but in fifteen-minute bursts. Think about doing this in very short segments, and expect some resistance, and frustration, when they don’t get it perfectly because that’s part of the learning process. Remember to be patient and understanding too.

7. Prepare For Disappointment: Many people, both Christian and non-Christian’s celebrate Easter. And as such, many people need to be prepared to celebrate this holiday (and likely other important holidays and celebrations) in a much different way. Make homemade decorations, create new traditions, find new and exciting ways to celebrate while staying safe. The future is going to need us to create new traditions, new memories, and fill the videos of the past. 

Additionally, we’d like to share a few resources to help children cope with COVID quarantine. Check them out here:

• How to talk to your kids about Coronavirus from PBS Kids.

• Mindful Breathing Practice - Serena & the Peaceful Pad - Be Fearless Be Kind from Hasbro.

• Free Streaming Kids Stories from Audible.
  
  Lastly, don’t forget that you can still use systems like Zoom and Skype to keep in touch with friends and family. Sometimes just seeing familiar faces helps everyone’s mood.

We hope that this blog was helpful to you. If you have a child or adolescent who you think is struggling more than average with coping with stress, anxiety, depression, or even just responding to the COVID crisis please reach out to us at 309-807-5077 or email us at info@TheMentalWellnessCenter.com to schedule an appointment or learn more information.

To learn more information about our providers you can visit this portion of our website: https://www.thementalwellnesscenter.com/providers