Tips for Helping Kids Cope with Coronavirus
Hey everyone, I had a different post all written and ready to go for this week about separation anxiety, but I decided to push that to next week and, instead, share some ways to help your child cope with Covid-19. Depending on where you are reading this from, your kid’s school may have been cancelled already, daycare may be closed, you may be working from home or trying to figure out how to keep going in to work when everything is up in the air. In my town, we are on spring break this week and were just told yesterday that they are extending the break by a week and a half. Whatever your situation, you’re probably having conversations with your kids and trying to answer questions that no one actually knows the answers to, so I have a few tips and ideas for how to help your child adjust and deal with all of this.
1. Be honest and give age and situation appropriate information. Just like adults, kids need to have information in order to feel comfortable. The unknown is scary, so think through what you need/want your child to know and talk with them about it. This will obviously vary based on factors such as the age of your child, whether anyone in your circle is sick, whether their routine is going to be or has changed, etc. It’s also okay to say that we don’t know what is going to happen. You can say, “I’m not sure what is going to happen, but what I do know is… (we will figure this out, we will take care of each other, we are doing xyz to help). You can also discuss what measures your family is taking to be prepared and how to stop the spread of the virus (staying home, washing hands, etc.)
2. Limit other sources of information like the news and social media. Depending on the age of your kids, they may be on social media or youtube and seeing information that could be inaccurate or, shall we say, less than calm and measured. You may also be a family that watches the news on TV with your kids in the room. The younger your kids are, the more important it is to filter this stuff for them. Even if they don’t seem to be paying attention, kids are sponges and will soak it all up. Even older children and teens (and yes, even adults!) can fall prey to the anxiety and panic that happens when they overconsume news media. So stay informed by choosing one or two trusted sources (the CDC and your local/state health departments are good bets) and share this information with your kids as needed.
3. Manage your own anxiety. This should really probably be the first one because it’s hard to do the others without first being grounded yourself. We must take care of ourselves and deal with our emotions so that we can be anchors for our children in the midst of this uncertainty. So use all your coping mechanisms, meditate, sleep a lot, see a therapist (many, including myself, offer online therapy via a service that’s like skype or facetime), talk to your support system, and work to keep yourself grounded.
4. Focus on what is normal. There are some things that are definitely not normal, but what if we focused on what is normal? We know how to spend time together as a family. We know how to find things to do. We know how to cook and eat at home. We know how to keep ourselves and our homes clean. Some of us even have experience working or learning from home. I feel like the more we focus on what hasn’t changed, the less anxious we will be as parents and this will trickle down to our kids.
5. Find a rhythm. If you are on social media at all, you may have seen that some moms are making full-on homeschool schedules. If this helps you and your kids, that’s great. If it’s more helpful to keep it loose, do that. Whatever makes sense for your situation and the people in your house, finding rhythms and routines is beneficial for kids (and adults too).
I hope some of this is helpful. Some of you may be feeling pressure to have a whole homeschool curriculum ready to go. Just remember, your kids will be fine and will not lose what they have learned in a matter of weeks. I think it’s much more important to tend to their emotional needs and create a feeling of safety and security at home. The math lessons can come later! I’m going to link up a few resources below if you want more. Otherwise, I will talk to you next week!
Be well and take good care of yourself!
Meghan
A few additional resources:
10-minute loving kindness meditation (you can also find your own by searching loving kindness or metta meditation)
Free downloads, printables, and guides for families during coronavirus closures from an elementary school counselor
A list of online educational programs from a mom of elementary and preschool aged kids