COVID-19 has disrupted the world, and many are experiencing the pangs of shelter-in-place. And because people are home 24/7 it’s causing anxiety levels to increase in adults and children. As such, parents are having to deal with their child or children’s schooling issues while trying to provide for their families. This pandemic is exceptional in its magnitude and spread throughout the world. It’s on every media outlet and it’s at the heart of every conversation especially during dinner. And due to the adjustments being made throughout the world, it has placed an increasingly amount of stress on children.
Here are a few ways on how you can keep your children calm during the COVID-19 crisis.
Remain calm. The key to having calm children during COVID-19 crisis or any crisis, is for parents to remain calm themselves. Children pick up on their parent’s behavior. For this reason, it is important for the parent(s) to remain calm in order to reassure their children that everything is okay. If you as a parent is unable to stay calm during the COVID-19 crisis, your children won’t remain calm either.
Create a sense of safety. Getting to know each other as a family is a safe haven to kids in the midst of vulnerability. Since kids are more susceptible and defenseless in many instances, it’s imperative to focus attention on providing a place of safety and giving them tangible provisions such as activities that are calming, their favorite dishes, blankets, or favorite toy used to make them feel safe or that all is well.
Limit exposure to news. News reports can be overwhelming for children especially since certain details about an event are described using sounds and images that may be a little too much for kids and can cause more harm than good. It’s also a good idea to not to depend on the news to provide your child(ren) with the updates about answers they may be seeking. Instead, get verified answers to the questions they are asking by seeking out credible sources to help you explain what is happening in the world concerning COVID-19. Let your children know that their safety is your number one priority.
Take time to listen. It’s important to give space for children to communicate their emotions and anxieties. By asking questions that allow them to give more than a yes or no answer gives them an opportunity to recognize what they want.
Tune in to what your children are saying, rather than giving them the answers allow them space to answer as they see it. Afterwards, reassure them by acknowledging what they have said and what they are feeling is normal.
Let the children play. Play is each youngster’s common type of conveying and preparing occasions. Children can recount tales about what they’ve heard and how they feel, regardless of whether they understand it or not. Besides, allowing children to play keeps them from being preoccupied with events that might be a bit too much for them. Plus, it gives them a way to release their bottled up tension and energy.
Crises have a way of affecting us and can cause a lot of anxiety especially to young people. How we cope is important not only for our well-being but for the well-being of our children. Thankfully, there are ways in which to remain calm during the COVID-19 crisis such as, remain calm as a parent, create a sense of safety, limit exposure to news, take time to listen, and let the children play.
This is not an exhaustive list of ways to remain calm during the COVID-19 crisis.
What are some of the ways in which you are helping your children remain calm during this pandemic? Let us know in the comment section.
