Last week, I wrote a six-step script forย How to Handle the Big โWhat Ifโs?โ, to address the Coronavirus anxiety in kids which is quickly increasing as Canada becomes more impacted, and there are more visible signs, such as people on the streets and in shops wearing masks.ย
Here are some additional tips to help with processing the anxiety connected to the Coronavirus.
More Tips for Handling Worldwide Coronavirus Anxiety
Nowadays, we live in a world of instant news.ย Unfortunately, we hear a lot of bad news such as school shootings, terrorist attacks, political tension/conflict, environmental concerns, and most recently, the Coronavirus.ย Unfortunately, the images and videos that are showing up on Instagram etc. are increasing the Coronavirus anxiety in kids.ย They are seeing images of people screaming in pain and itโs being attributed to the Coronavirus.ย Theyโre seeing images of people purposely coughing on door handles and saying that they are trying to spread the Coronavirus!ย Thereโs so much fake news out there, that kids and adults have no idea what to believe.
Last week I wrote aboutย six specific stepsย to helpย decreaseย the level of Coronavirus anxiety in kids.ย I recommend readingย this article first, and then coming back to read todayโs tips.
This week, I have five more tips for helping you help your kidsย PROCESSย their worries.
Tip #1: Parent Models Being Calm
If you seem worried and anxious, your sensitive child will pick up on your nervous energy.
If you stop talking to your partner the moment your child enters the room, your child will know something is wrong.ย If you are looking at your phone with a serious face and donโt hear your child, as they try to talk to you, your child will know that something is serious.
Itโs important to process your own feelings away from your children.
Tip #2: Talk to Your Child about The Event
Your child may have heard misinformation from friends, the internet, social media etc.ย Therefore, itโs important to first ask your child what has he/she heard, so you can understand what narrative they are replaying in their minds.
Once you have heard their information, you can correct any misinformation and decide how much more they need to know, or maybe theyโve heard the main points and this is enough.ย ย They do not need to hear every detail.ย Understanding why this event happened (to the best of our knowledge) helps them to make sense of it.
Some grade seven classes, listen to the news live in their current events class, but I would not recommend this.ย Some students will be much more highly sensitive than others and hearing the news live can be very anxiety producing.ย Itโs important to share some information about current events, but again,ย they do not need to see all the images or hear all the details.
Tip #3: Teach Your Children to Calm Themselves
Teach them about deep breathing.ย Diaphragmatic breathing is recommended for instant relaxation.ย Psychologist, Dr. Charlotte Reznick, calls this โballoon breathingโ.ย She recommends putting your hand on your belly, and as you breathe in, have your stomach go out like a balloon, and then as you breathe out, have your stomach go in!ย At first this feels very difficult and opposite to what we normally do, but it is very calming, once you get the hang of it!
Taking deep breaths also keeps us in the present, which is important as anxiety takes us into the future land of โWhat Ifโs?โย We need to remind our kids to stay in the present and focus on the present facts.
Tip #4: Take Action to Help the Victims
When we are feeling distressed, it helps to help others, especially the victims (when possible).ย We need to help our kids remember that this worldwide distressing event is out of our control, but helping others less fortunate is within our control.
For example, we can suggest bake sales, lemonade sales etc. to raise money for charities that are helping with the virus crisis in some countries..ย We can do a clothing drive for the homeless in our own city who are freezing in this cold weather.
Tip #5:ย Use the Analogy of the Invisible String to Decrease Separation Anxiety
Itโs natural to seek more connection and attachment when weโre distressed.ย During heightened stress, some children may find it more challenging to attend school as they are worried about leaving their parents.ย The wonderful childrenโs book,ย The Invisible Stringย by Patrice Karst, uses a beautiful analogy, to explain that weย are always connected to the people we love, through our hearts, by an โinvisible stringโ.
To add to this metaphor, I ask children to rub their hands together really fast until they are warm. Then, I ask them to pull their hands apart a centimetre and feel the vibrational energy.ย I also suggest that they move their hands around and feel the energy move too, which they find fascinating.ย I explain that everything and every person is made up of moving energy.
We can then use the โinvisible stringโ metaphor to think of our energy being connected to the people we love, even when weโre apart.ย (When my children were younger, I gave them each a little rose quartz heart, which they kept in their backpacks to remind them that we were always connected by the โinvisible stringโ.)
I hope these tips further help decrease the Coronavirus anxiety in kids that is increasing, as more cases are reported locally,
Warmly,
Sharon Selby, MA, is a Registered Clinical Counsellor, with over 20 yearsโ experience counseling children and families.ย She is the author of the childrenโs book, Surfing the Worry Impโs Wave, where you can find more information about the strategies recommended in this article.ย To receive her free ebook: 8 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Your Child is Anxious, go to www.SharonSelby.com/free
Babies donโt know how good they have it. Especially when their parents inviteย guests over for dinner. Babies get to suck their toes at the dinner table. No oneย else gets to suck their toes at the dinner table. Babies get to stare at people.
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2 comments
Sharon J Selby
You’re welcome Sanaz, Take care
SANAZ
Thanks for your advice
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