28/05/2020
I totally agree,especially @ No.2!
PARENTS/KIDS/COVID19, HELPFUL TIPS
I work with both young people and adults, I know these are high anxiety times for everyone. There is general worry and fear of uncertainty and that is causing us to be anxious.
Anxiety is meant to keep us safe, it simply means something is not right, a bit like seeing a bus or huge lorry driving towards us, our body system will trigger the Flight, Fight, Freeze reaction( I can talk more about that another time).
I am currently working with young people via video conferencing and they have all reacted differently to the pandemic.
Some have felt safer than usual especially ones who normally don't spend much time with thier parents, lockdown has delivered a gift to them because thier parents or carers are available for the first time.
Some teenagers are not bothered because they spend a lot of time self isolating in their rooms anyway.
There are those struggling with the change and luck of routine and not knowing when it will all end.
Some younger kids are confused and scared here are a few tips you may find helpful.
1) Give your kids fact based information instead of letting them rely on stuff off social media and TV some of which is fake.
Tell kids that people have viruses all the time but covid19 is different because it would overwhelm the medical care system and that's why it's not good for us to all get ill in one go hence the social distancing to slow it down.
2) Dont spend all day talking about covid19 to kids dont overwhelm them.
3) Ask questions and give answers to their questions to help deal with any myths they may have
4) Dont assume that kids are worried about the virus unless they say so. If kids ask question with what if this, what if that...it is a hint that they maybe troubled.
5) If they are scared or worried give them facts by keeping them in the here and now. Talk about what you can all do to keep safe like washing hands, the fact that no one in the household is sick etc.
6) Model positivity to your kids: They are watching your own reactions and your anxiety levels and what you do will make them confident or worried.
7) If they cant communicate, get them to draw their feelings and that will give you an idea of what is going on in their mind.
8) Change the channels: Our mind is like a TV, if you turn it on and a channel is broken you find another, if a program at a specific channel is scarery or boring you go to another. Do that with your mind and your kid's, find other things to focus on instead of depressing covid19
9) Have a routine: Have regular set times for doing things ie wake up time, meal times, regular walk times, bed times etc, keep them the same every day
10) Teach: Most parents have become teachers using provided material from schools, do the best you can. If you or the kids struggle have a break do something else. It maybe good to give kids chance to learn a different way, for example go for a walk, bug hunting, set up a bird feeder, walk around and identify plants, make crafts, mold with clay etc. That will be just as good as set formal learning
11) Dont be a therapist because you are not one just like you are not a teacher. If your kids need psychological help contact a psychotherapist or counsellor or other professionals, many of us are working via video link now.
I hope this is helpful.
