So much is being asked of us right now.  We all try to do our best to flatten the curve and keep our loved ones safe.  Parents especially are faced with many pressures right now- trying to work from home, ensure their kids continue to learn, pressure to help kids with their learning packages and communicate with their teachers.  Many Parents are faced with real financial pressures and have worries about caring and protecting their aging parents.  If parents work in essential services they may struggle with the need to work and worries about exposing themselves and their families to COVID 19.  

Ensuring/Protecting Parent’s Mental Health is important.

It is important to protect the mental health of parents particularly now – Kids are looking to their parents to feel safe and secure and to help them manage with all the uncertaintyIt is difficult to help others/ support your own family if you are feeling overwhelmed and your fears are out of controlThis is an unprecedented time; it is normal to feel anxious and have worriesDo your best to manage, take good care of your mental health,  practice self care, avoid excessive exposure to media coverage, add extra time for daily stress relief Connection with friends and family is key—we are stronger together.  You may need the help of a mental health professional to ensure that you are coping well- to talk through your anxiety and develop healthy coping strategies.  You may also need support to be able to support your children through this

How to help your children manage with these uncertain times

It is important to talk about what is going on with your child.  There are great resources to help you do this if you are uncertain- Anxiety Canada website- awesome source of info, and has scripts of how to approach topic of COVID 19 with your child and links to other resources, and videos you can watch together with your child.  https://www.anxietycanada.comAce Burpee’s UTube series where WPG pose questions and get the facts and answers to their questions from the MB health officials. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oj2HyrGvsJQLego version of PM Justin Trudeau’s speech to Canadian ChildrenCheck in with kids, ask them what they know, what they are worried about and what they want to knowDon’t be afraid to talk about- it helps to talk. It’s also OK not to know the answers- you can find out together.  Children may need more reassurance during this time- reassure them that they’re safe, they may need more hugs, more 1:1 time- Remind them that this will inevitably end, and we will be able to gather together and see our family in person again.   Predictability and routine help children, but this can be a routine that is fluid and flexible one that fits your family and child’s personality. Don’t be afraid to let your child know that you are anxious too- this can help to normalize their fears.  It is healthy to have some anxiety/worries- by helping them know it’s OK and healthy to worry a little, it helps keep us safe, but we never want to let worry take over and become unhelpfulRemember to explain things in terms and language they can understand, in simple explanations

Use what Works

What positive strategies does your family use to manage worries- Model your own coping strategies Help your child generate alternatives to their worried thoughts, like “what else could happen” insteadHelp your child sort out helpful worries and unhelpful ones*Many resources available to help- Anxiety Canada

Stay Active

Ideas to stay active and burn off energy can be found Online with programs like Go Noodle, Yoga for kids, YMCA has virtual work outswalks -while maintaining appropriate social distancing

Sleep

Getting enough sleep helps us manage our stress and cope effectively with stressors

Eat Well

As appropriate, get children involved in cooking and helping 

Some final thought