Ashtanga Yoga Poses | Emotionally Physically Mentally

 

How To Support Your our Child’s Emotional Wellbeing During COVID-19?

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been too widespread than we could ever imagine. The pandemic has brought about a huge change in the way we lived. While most adults are still struggling to cope with the drastic change, the kids are finding it even more difficult to understand what is happening.

Children are vulnerable to mental stress and insecurity during this phase of crisis. Your kids may also have many questions – some unanswered – in their mind. This may make them anxious and affect their mental and emotional well-being.

Hence, there is a need to understand the possible impact of this pandemic on kids’ mental health and find ways to support their emotional well-being. Read on to know the best ways to help your chile avoid anxiety and feel at ease during this challenging phase.

Effective ways to support your kids’ mental health

Calm is contagious

Controlling your own fears and anxieties is essential to ensure your child does not feel nervous. The mood of parents is highly contagious to their kids. Children can gauge their parent's moods by observing their facial expressions and the tone in their voice. Hence, it's important for parents to stay calm so that the positive feelings seep into the minds of their kids. Maintain a normal or calm tone while talking to them. Be positive. Think positive. Feel positive. This would help you as well as your kids to stay strong and improve their emotional well-being.

Share information

Withholding facts and information can be more stressful for kids. Children often rely on their imagination when they do not have adequate information. They tend to conceive wrong ideas that can worsen their anxiety and make them feel insecure. Hence, it is advisable to share age-appropriate information with your child so that he has his facts cleared. You should also make yourself available for your kids to discuss their concerns. You can explain in simple language what this pandemic means to them, its possible impact, and how they can protect themselves. Sharing age-appropriate information will allow your kids to get a clear picture of the situation and help them avoid undue anxiety. However, it might be a good idea to avoid discussing the adversities related to COVID-19 including the risk of mortality with and in front of kids.

Social distancing and not social isolation.

Though social distancing has become a necessity to protect yourself against COVID-19, it should not turn into social isolation. Allow your child to interact with others including his friends and relatives through phone calls or video calls. Social connectedness would improve your kid’s ability to show resilience to adversity. You can choose creative ways to help your child stay connected with others such as writing emails and letters or sending cards. Encourage your family to send letters to your kid as well. I am sure these cards and letters would offer pleasant memories for your kid that he will cherish even after the pandemic is over.

Time for ‘Family Time’

There is another issue kids are facing during this pandemic. It has got them disconnected not just from the world but also left them alone at home due to the parent’s busy schedule. If both you and your spouse are working, your kids may feel alone even at home. This is why; there is a need to redefine your ‘family time’. Make sure you set aside a particular time of the day when you, your spouse and your kids can spend quality time together. You can simply talk to each other, discuss what you did on the day, share your feelings, or play games during this time. This family time, even if it is short, say an hour, will help your kid feel close to you and avoid the feeling of being alone.

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