It’s been over 1 year now that the whole world is grappling with it. The fear, stress, grief, isolation, unpredictability, and various uncertainties created by Covid-19 can wear anyone down.  And the ones who are most affected by this are children. Both emotionally and mentally it has been a difficult phase for the children to cope with. And mental health of children during a pandemic has suffered the most.

The mental health of children during a pandemic

Slowly we have started to see the ray of hope with the gradual introduction of the covid-19 vaccine across the world. And hopefully, this will also ease the mental stress faced by everyone around the world. However, there is one thing that haunts everyone and continues to give stress is the fear of losing loved ones and the ones who already lost their lives to covid. This is going to affect the children and families for a long time to come and time will be the best healer for the same.

Amidst the situation, one of the most important thing that we as parents need to focus on is the mental health of children during pandemics. Recently I attended a Fortis Mental Healthcare free Workshop by Dr. Samir Parikh, and this one an eye-opener on how not just us common man but, even the specialists and health care experts across the gamut are going through stress. Sharing a few of my key learnings. This is not at all a sponsored post. I am just sharing my learnings for the parents and families to use.

UNMUTE your child’s emotions

We all have seen and heard opening our thoughts and emotions to someone helps unload the mental stress. Get your child to sit along with you and talk about his or her feelings. Some of the most common emotions you will encounter will be fear, depression, anxiety, hopelessness, and anger. Most of the time kids and young adults won’t share their emotions due to the fear of troubling parents or feeling ashamed. It’s very hard for children to express their emotions and talk about them. They close themselves and will just show signs and changes in their behavior. The parents must understand these signs and work upon them.

UNDERSTANDING the signs of stress in your child

Every child is different and their way of coping and dealing with mental stress will also be different. Signs and behaviors will differ from children to children.

• Babies/Infants/toddlers/preschoolers– Fussiness, irritability, constant crying, being clingy, stomach pain, withdrawal, hitting, biting others, frustration, and frequent tantrums. These are some of the signs of stress in babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. Aside from this bedwetting despite being potty trained is also one of the signs of stress in young kids.
• Older kids/adolescents- Ongoing irritability, being hopeless, excessive rage, suddenly becoming introvert, loss of interest in activities they loved earlier, sleeplessness, lack of appetite, erratic weight gain or loss, and eating disorders too. These are some of the common behavioral traits that one can come across in older kids. In fact, dropping in academics and getting into wrong habits are also little more serious signs in nature.

HOW as a Parent you can help.

• Consult an expert- Given the current situation, it is all the more important to stay in touch with your doctor. A medical expert can screen for any particular signs of depression and emotional distress. You can always have a video consultation with your doctor and allow your child also to speak with the doctor (Depending on the age group)
• Help cope with a loss– Covid has taken away many lives in many families across the nation and this does have an impact on families and kids. It’s important to get counseling done for your child if there was a loss of someone too close. Professional guidance will help manage grief and loss.
• Unmute your child– Sharing feelings and thoughts can really help. Try and build a connection with your children. Get them to open up and talk to a trusted adult. Empathize with them and assure them that things will be fine soon. Happy times are just ahead and life will be soon normalized.
• Play with them– You could organize some fun activities at home. We love to organize some treasure hunt, play hide and seek, organize a kitchen set and barbie house for my kids at home. Playing helps forget the situation around and also helps in relaxing the mental stress.
• Involve them in activities – While you involve your kids in conversations you could also involve them in activities, they love the most. You can together do painting, coloring, art & craft to help manage the stress. Something that I personally love doing with my kids is playing with play dough, kinetic sand, and stress buster balls. These things really help them unwind and have fun.
• Make the environment happy at home- One of the most important things is to make the environment at home happy and lively. I am sure as a parent you must be going through stress as well due to the situation around you. However, try and keep your mental stress and anxiety away from kids. Avoid any discussions that can bring loneliness, sadness around. Control your own emotions. Try to stay positive and relay consistent messages that a brighter future lies ahead.
• Friends connect- Due to pandemics it’s been almost 1 year’s children have not been able to step out peacefully and play with their friends. They must stay connected to their own age group and have some fun time. You can organize virtual play dates, set up video calls, encourage phone calls daily with close friends. We have a routine and every day my daughter gets on a video call with her friends and they play some nice games and ask riddles.
• Parents’ mental health- While managing the house and family you may not focus much on your own mental health. Set aside some time for yourself and seek the support you may need for your own mental stress. Practice yoga, mindfulness, or doing any form of exercise can help the entire family build coping skills from the situation on hand. Ensure during the day one time when the entire family sits together and have some great conversation. You could enjoy a movie together, have a nap, play family board games and the likes of it.
• Reading- Books can be one of the best friends if you get into the habit of having them on your hands. I personally have been a bibliophile and have developed the reading habit in my kids too. Get your child to read some nice books as per their age and you could also read along with them to give them company.
• Practice Yoga & meditation- To reduce anxiety and stress you can practice yoga and meditation with your kids. It helps in ensuring mindfulness and peace of mind.
• Power of Touch- Start with your child’s days with a gentle hug or a kiss on the forehead. Greet them with lots of love and affection daily. Give them nice and warm hugs as and when possible during the day to ensure that all is well and things will be fine soon.

MOST IMPORTANT

Always keep the lines of communication open at home. Don’t let your child feel that you are unapproachable. Talk-talk-talk and talk with your kids daily. Sit with them and understand their thoughts and feelings. Have fun with them, hug them, assure them that everything is going to be fine. Last but not least I would like to close this post by saying UNMUTE yourself as parents in front of the right people. Seek medical help if needed as your mental health matters as much mental health of children during a pandemic. Do not bottle your emotions as it builds distress levels and adds on to the anxiety and worries.

This phase too shall pass and we are all in this together. Stay tight, stay safe and stay happy.

If in case you are looking to get the professional help you can write an email to mentalhealth@fortishealthcare.com  Your concerns and problems will be addressed by the specialist for sure. Or you can give them a call on the free helpline number 8376804102. It’s a dedicated line for mental health issues managed by Fortis Healthcare.

This is not a sponsored post at all. It’s a small effort to support fellow citizens and parents during this time of crisis.

Read more on parenting here 

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75% people don’t seek help due to social stigma.

mentalhealth@fortishealthcare.com