Stress and anxiety can affect your family in this time of the coronavirus. Just like adults, children may have a difficult time adjusting and additionally may be picking up on the stress they sense in their parents. The following signs suggest that your children may need additional support:
Changes in sleep patterns - difficulty falling asleep, waking in the middle of the night, sleeping more or perhaps less.
Changes in eating routines - eating more or less, not feeling hungry, or feeling hungry much more frequently.
Increases in bodily aches and pains - upset stomach, headaches, increased concern about physical sensations.
Changes in behavior or mood - frequent tearfulness, irritability, anger, fearfulness, and decreased interest in favorite activities.
Increased clinginess - difficulty separating and sleeping alone in their own room or disengaging, spending more time alone, not joining in on family activities.
Difficulty concentrating - becoming easily distracted, increased worries.
It’s completely natural to feel some level of fear and anxiety during this time, especially since no one really knows when it will end, and when life can return to normal.
So what is a parent to do?
Reassure them: One of the best things parents can do right now is to reassure their children that they are safe, while providing them with information that is appropriate for their age level.
Spend time together: Watch TV with your children, keeping the amount of exposure to a reasonable level and talking to them about anything they find concerning.
Set limits: Monitor time on screens (laptops, smart phones, and gaming systems). Keep an eye on social media and make sure it’s a healthy activity.
Provide structure: Keep to a daily routine to reduce anxiety, celebrate family events such as birthdays and holidays, even if extended family and friends can’t join in.
Ask for help: It’s natural to feel some amount of anxiety, but if your child shows prolonged stress or has other symptoms that are concerning, seek help from your child’s pediatrician.
Here are a few more ideas for you:
Teach them to practice good self-care. Encourage your children to get off of social media and go walk the dog, get outside and do something physical, take a nap, call a friend, read something – just for fun, get up and stretch, listen to music. This is practical advice for the entire family, adults included.
Help them to beat back their worries. Learn the art of productive self-talk. We’ve all experienced the phenomenon of worrying about something and automatically jumping to the worst possible outcome. We also know that the reality is that the worst possible outcome rarely comes to fruition. Talk to your children, help them to think logically about this worst-case scenario, have them listen to their inner-voice and talk back to it.
Check yourself! Are you modeling reasonable behavior and good stress coping skills? Your children will learn from you in many areas of their life and that includes how you handle stressful situations. If you lose your cool, take a breath, calm down and begin again. Be a model of good stress management.
We hope that this information is useful to you and wish you and your family well during these difficult times. Stay safe, friends!