Helping Kids Cope with Anxiety During COVID-19

The news, statistics, numbers…the outlets for negative information are endless. It’s important for us to find ways to avoid these negative information sources that are meant to inform us, but usually go beyond that to a point of scaring us. Now with kids being home all day it’s even more important to limit our exposure to these types of content so that we are not passing our fears or anxieties on to them. Our children pay attention to everything we do, not everything we say, but do.

It’s important, now more than ever, to prepare them with tools for navigating the sometime scary world we live in. All school age children are capable of interpreting what is going on in the U.S. and the World and making their own assumptions about how that will impact their lives. Because of this, it is so important to set aside time to talk to our children about things you can do as a family to prevent exposure to COVID, and remind them that “now is not forever”, this pandemic will go away, and they will get to return to a normal routine one day in the near future.

Our children will follow our lead so if you are having a hard time coping with the events in the world don’t be afraid to talk to someone about how you are feeling so you can be prepared to set an example for your children. It’s also helpful to find a “new normal” for your family during this time by introducing, or reinstituting, activities for the family to do together during the pandemic. Taking walks together, playing outside, reading together, watching movies, family game nights, family cook off’s, the possibilities are endless.

For additional resources and tips on staying healthy visit the link below or give Summit Counseling a call at 678-893-5300 to start counseling today!

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-anxiety.html