While COVID-19 doesn’t seem to affect children as bad as adults, in terms of physical health, children can have mental health challenges due to the pandemic.
As the months tick by, with no return to normalcy in sight, parents might be wondering how to protect the mental health of their children. Here are four things you need to know. Read on:
Put on your own oxygen mask
One of the best things you can do to help your child and support his or her mental health is to make sure you are taking care of your own. As parents, we set the tone in the house and if you are anxious, stressed or upset, your child will be too. Try to take some time for self-care when you can, so you aren’t always trying to pour from an empty cup.
Keep up routines
While daily life is not the way it was six months ago, there is still room for routines or rhythms in our daily lives. Children crave structure and routine and there is comfort in the predictable. If you can set up a routine or rhythm – especially now that school is back (virtual or face to face) – it will be better for your child.
Talk about it
Even if we, as parents, are limiting what our children read, see and hear about the pandemic, chances are they know more than we think. So, use this as a learning opportunity and talk through the news and what is going on in the world. Listen to your child and help them understand what is going on.
Empowerment
One of the best things you can do to help your child’s mental health is to empower him or her. While social distancing and mask wearing is new and can seem intimidating, if you practice them and talk about them – letting your child take the lead – it will be easier and less scary.
Everything Birth
At Everything Birth, we hope you and your family are healthy and safe.