In times of pandemic, it is normal for children to experience their emotions differently : more stress, feelings of unease , confused, irritable. Experts point out: the mental health of children in general is particularly vulnerable in times of crisis like the one we are currently experiencing.
Children will not experience the same level of stress in this situation and will react differently. Some may: cling to their parents or guardians (a bit like lifebuoys), be consumed by anxiety , withdraw into themselves, isolate themselves, oppose , procrastinate , regress in acquired skills, have nightmares , become hypersensitive , etc.
“It goes without saying with the situation in which we live,” says Geneviève Fecteau, executive director for the Canadian Mental Health Association of Montreal (CMHA).
What about teenagers?
They also face burdens such as adapting to new learning methods or meeting academic demands to continue or officially complete their studies.
In the longer term, if the situation persists , the consequences on the mental health of young people will be significant . People, and particularly teenagers, are in the process of constructing their identity , need human contact, a network of belonging with which to identify. Isolation can cause our children to develop adjustment and behavioral problems that will be irreversible.
What can we do to create something positive in all of this?
Just a quick reminder. Pay attention to your own anxiety because children are sensitive to your own energy. Breathe before talking to them. Share your tips for staying calm and positive, as this is the key to maintaining good mental health.
Children learn and are inspired by the adults around them, hence the importance for you, parent, teacher, professional, to set an example.
Here are 11 tips to take care of our children’s mental health! (To do every day!!!)
- Promote active listening and an understanding attitude towards them with a hand on the shoulder, a comforting smile, a softly whispered word of love.11-tips-for-taking-care-of-a-child’s-mental-health-4
- Organize a moment of listening and welcoming into the routine by inviting your child to talk about what he experienced during his day. Often, children will say “good” because they want so much to be loved by their parents and not to disappoint them. So, you have to go a little further in the conversation and ask more specific questions : “Did things go well today? Being distanced from others? With the masks? On the bus? Did you get rejected?”
- Offer him an intermediary. If your child has difficulty opening up and talking, invite him to draw or play blocks or a puzzle while you ask him the questions. This will allow him to reconnect with his inner self more easily, instead of answering what mom or dad hopes to hear. He may feel freer to respond and have access to his emotional state.
- Listen without intervening. Often, as a parent we tend to provide a solution right away, while our child just wants to be listened to fully. Very often, it is us as adults who are unhappy with the situation, and we seek to resolve it at all costs. Listen to your child without intervening by feeling what he or she is experiencing. This listening may be the solution in itself.
- Normalize emotions by explaining that it is normal to feel this way and talk about what you are experiencing and how you manage to take care of your well-being (to some extent).
- Help him find positive ways to express upsetting feelings, such as anger, fear, and sadness . Ask him to symbolize what he feels with an image , an object. Ask it: if this object could speak what would it say?
- Talk openly: give them clear, age-appropriate information on how to reduce the risk of infection and stay safe.
- Maintain regular routines and schedules or create new ones that include learning, play , exercise, relaxation, and special contact time with mom and dad; it’s so important to nurturing homeland security.