Explaining COVID-19 to Children & Tips for Keeping Anxiety Low
Many are growing increasingly anxious with the constant coronavirus updates, and our children are no exception. Several young ones have shared the concern that they will catch the virus, give it to their caretakers, and their caretakers will die. Can you imagine the level of impact that can have on a 4, 5, 6, or even 12 year old’s mental health?
Here are some tips to help keep anxiety low during this time of confusion and chaos:
Stay safe and remember to keep washing your hands!
Here are some tips to help keep anxiety low during this time of confusion and chaos:
- Maintain structure –
- Sit down with your children and map out how the days will flow. Setup specific timings for reading/homework, meal times, family time and bedtime.
- Like every Teacher write it down and post the schedule.
- Try to limit screen time and get creative when online –
- Screen time issues are going to be challenging right now, but there are ways we can be proactive about time being spent online.
- One way is to set up rules – here is a link to some helpful screen time monitoring apps
- Another is to get creative – join in on the fun
- Facebook – using Group Video Chat in messenger, your children can connect with their friends. Up to 50 friends can join in and choose to just listen in and join via voice, or be on camera. Once more than six people are on the call, just the dominant speaker is shown to all participants.
- They can have a dance party, do a challenge, have a virtual viewing party of their favorite show, or anything else you can come up with. The options abound.
- Tik Tok – hop on the Tik Tok bandwagon and make a video with your children.
- This can be a great time to bond with them and catch up on the latest social media trends with them
- Facebook – using Group Video Chat in messenger, your children can connect with their friends. Up to 50 friends can join in and choose to just listen in and join via voice, or be on camera. Once more than six people are on the call, just the dominant speaker is shown to all participants.
- Have an open and creative mindset –
- In good times and bad times, help your child understand that every moment in life offers opportunities to learn, grow, and create.
- Journaling is a good way for children to process their feelings in this uncertain time.
- This can be a time to for additional bonding opportunities we may not always have.
- Teach them how to cook or bake something you all love to eat
- Show them how to do the laundry
- Gardening can be another great way to reduce screen time. When children and adolescents have the opportunity to learn and play in the garden, it helps reverse these alarming trends:
- Children and adolescents spend up to 6 hours per day on their screens
- Diet-related illnesses are on the rise among all ages, but especially children. These diseases include heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes.
- Lack of green space for growing children has been linked to anxiety and poor mental health.
- Clean out your closet, and encourage them to consider donating items they no longer need to a local shelter
- Remind them that there are others who are less fortunate and in greater need of items they no longer truly need
- Keep your regular sleep schedule –
- While it might be tempting for your children to want to stay up late every night and sleep late every morning, that’s not going to be beneficial to their physical and mental health.
- Stick to your bedtime schedule.
- Make sure the information is age appropriate –
- Emphasize Safety for younger children, explain they are safe and being taken care of.
- For teenagers, stick to the facts and make sure you are not sharing too much of your own anxieties with them.
Stay safe and remember to keep washing your hands!
