COVID19 is a universal crisis, which has an impact on children as well. With a restriction on playing outdoor games to just hanging out with their friends, the lock-down measures can severely impact their physical as well as mental well-being.
Therefore, parents need to spend time with their kids of all age groups and help them understand how to cope with such situations. Parents, especially those of teenagers, should pay attention to the warning signs of social isolation and engage in activities that limit their screen time on mobile, laptops, and i-Pads.
Parents should engage with their kids as much as possible, irrespective of their age group. It is also important to notice the warning signs of anxiety and stress among children. As a majority of parents around the world are working from home currently, it is easy for them to overlook the need of their child as they juggle to complete their domestic as well as official duties.
A few questions that parents should ask themselves when it comes to the behavior of their children during state-at-home orders include the following:
- Is my child trying to grab my attention?
- Is my child spending too much time online or over the phone?
- Has my child’s eating habits changed during the lock-down?
- How much time does my child spend in self-isolation?
- Has my child’s sleeping pattern changed dramatically during the lock-down?
- Is my child pursuing any hobby?
- Does he or she engage or participate in family conversations?
- Do I know what my child’s day is like and how his or her friends are doing?
Answering these questions may call for some self-introspection and the parents will automatically get an answer to what they need to do to make a difference in their child’s like and make them more productive, comfortable, and engaged during the lock-down phase.
References: https://www.unicef.org/coronavirus/covid-19-parenting-tips
https://patient.info/news-and-features/covid-19-how-to-keep-kids-active-during-coronavirus-lockdown
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