There is a lot of uncertainty
around the current COVID-19 outbreak, particularly given that the situation is
constantly developing and the information about the virus remains incomplete.
Understandably, this is causing a
lot of worry and anxiety for people.
Having children and young people at home, often when people are trying
to work themselves, adds another layer of stress. It is therefore important to not only
consider our physical health during such challenging times, but also to pay
attention to our mental health. It is
normal to feel worried, stressed and anxious when we are faced with uncertain
situations, but the sooner we acknowledge and learn to take care of our mental
health, the healthier and better equipped we’ll be to cope with the situation
we're having to face.
Looking after your children
For the most part,
children will need what they’ve always needed; love, attention and
opportunities to learn and play. If
children are home for long periods because of social-distancing or
self-isolation, the following tips might be helpful:
Try and keep to a
structure and routine that suits you.
Keep bedtime and morning routines close to existing ones to promote a
sense of normality that children will find reassuring. Encouraging them to get up
and dressed during the week will help maintain some difference between weekdays
and weekends.
Keep boundaries firm and
make it clear that you expect the same standards of behaviour as usual. Boundaries show that adults are still in
control and taking care of them, which helps children to feel safe.
Make sure they get some
time to burn off energy every day.
Younger children will enjoy assault courses, discos etc. Older children and teens might respond better
to fitness videos.
Expect children to do
some learning every day. In the longer-term
schools are likely to provide opportunities for online learning. In the short term, or as extra activities
there are a wealth of helpful websites, many of which they will be able to
access independently. Continuing with
their learning helps promote a sense of normality and purpose as well as
keeping them up to date for when they are back at school.
Find opportunities for
them to interact with their friends remotely.
For tweens and teens, contact with their peers is especially important. Technology provides lots of opportunities for
older children to connect, chat and game together. But be wary of giving unsupervised access to
platforms that you would not normally allow your child onto; the internet still
poses the same risks as in normal times.
Balance screen time with
other activities. Challenge children to
learn new skills that don’t involve screens e.g. tying shoe laces, juggling,
baking. Older children might want to set
their own goals.
Give children
opportunities to have a say in what will be happening.
They may have had a lot of their freedoms and
choices removed for a while and may feel powerless or angry.
Older children and teenagers will be more able
to understand the risks in too much screen time, too little sleep, inactivity
etc.
They are more likely to ‘buy in’ to
new rules and routines if they feel that they have a voice.
Family meetings where children and adults
problem-solve together can be helpful for this.
There are some example timetables on the next page. These
are just shared as a guide but may be helpful in terms of thinking about how to
maintain some structure and routine throughout days at home. Remember to
intersperse activities with breaks, and don’t forget healthy snacks and drinks!
The last pages in this pack have links to websites with
helpful ideas and activities covering a range of topics.
Talking to children about Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Although it’s tempting to try and protect children from
difficult topics, they are more likely to worry when they’re kept in the
dark. Children and teenagers will be
aware of what is happening but may not have all the facts they need to
understand it.
These tips will help you communicate about Coronavirus with
your child:
· Take time to talk and listen. Be clear that you are happy to answer any
questions that they have. Be led by your
child as they may not be that interested or want to know everything all at
once. Try to answer any questions
honestly but keep things in context e.g. “Sadly, some people do die, but the
vast majority of people will recover, and children seem to be only mildly
affected”.
Reassure them that their own risk is very low
but that we all need to ‘do our bit’ to look after people who might be very
unwell. Underline how helpful they are being by following the rules about
hygiene and social-distancing.
Knowing
we’re being altruistic helps us to bear the tough times.
Give positive messages about everything you are
doing as a family to keep yourselves safe.
Talk about all the work people around the world are doing to find
treatments and a vaccine.
Keep explanations developmentally
appropriate.
o
Young children up to about age seven will need
very simple explanations that relate to their own experiences. Explain that, like other germs, Coronavirus
can spread between people and make them ill.
But because Coronavirus is a new germ that we don’t know everything
about, we need to take more care and so things might be a bit different for a
while.
o
Older children and tweens will want to know
more. They may have heard partial
explanations and ‘filled in the gaps’ themselves with their own ideas, so check
what they already think they know about it.
o
Teenagers will have a similar capacity to
understand what’s going on as adults.
They will need calm, factual information and opportunities to talk
through their worries and disappointments.
Give them an opportunity to talk about their
feelings.
Our instinct might be to ‘make
it all better’, but it is normal to feel scared, sad and angry in the face of
what’s happening.
Tell them that what is
happening is not normal but that their feelings are.
