As parents, many times, we hear the phrase “kids are so resilient.”  The truth is that, although they can absolutely be resilient, they also need guidance from the trusted adults in their life to help them feel safe.  Right now, our community, our country, and our planet are facing a true crisis, a pandemic.  Schools have closed their doors and children and parents alike have been thrown into homeschooling in closed quarters.  Stress may be at an all-time high, with kids feeling everything going on around them.  So, how do we as adults and parents help our children through a time of such uncertainty?

Tips To Help Kids Tackle the Pandemic

Many resources have popped up in the past few weeks to help kids deal with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is something for everyone, whether children are feeling curious, frustrated, anxious, or the plethora of other feelings associated with the state of our world.

  • The World Health Organization has a great link on their Web site with multiple resources in the form of easy to read infographics.
  • A helpful resource video from the Indiana State Department of Health.
  • This article from Huff Post not only reminds us about self-care, but it also has a print-out for children that you can put on your refrigerator for when they need a calming break during the day.
  • PBS Kids offers a variety of tips and activities to help kids while homebound.
  • MommyPoppins.com offers a great list of resources and activities for children of all ages.

No matter where you decide to find resources, you are doing your children a favor by opening up a dialogue with them about what is going on in their wider community.  Honesty is greatly appreciated by both curious and anxious children, although your brand of honesty may need to be wrapped in a package easily understood by children and not in danger of making them more afraid.  Most children know when adults are trying to hide bits of information, and this can make them feel even more scared.

One method you can practice right now in order to help your kids feel safe and maintain some semblance of normalcy is the 3 R’s: Reassurance, Routine, and Regulation.  Reassure them that you are there and any big feelings they have are perfectly normal, try to maintain their routine as much as you can or create a new one and stick to it, and help them to engage in self-regulating activities such as exercise and mindfulness practices.

We are all affected by this pandemic, and the more we model resilience, compassion, and courage during this time, the better off our children will be.  This may even be a spring-board for a larger conversation about our world as a giant community or even deeper discussions about bravery and getting through tough times.  We are lucky to live in a supportive community such as Greenfield.  Let’s work together to keep each other safe and create an even better way living for our children.