Children and young people are now in need of special support
For children and young people, the current Situation can be particularly distressing: The well-known everyday routine breaks away, you are not able to meet with their friends, often have less Outdoor exercise, be together all the time with the parents. To Worries and Fears, what could that mean a novel Corona-Virus for yourself or your friends and families come in many.
The US health authority “Centers for Disease Control and Prevention” (CDC) has published a guide for coping with stress during the Corona-crisis. In it, she also specifically on how children and young people are now the best support. The first step is to recognize whether your child is at the moment, especially under Stress.
How do you recognize if your child or Teen is under Stress?
Not every child and every Teenager reacts the same way to Stress. The CDC is called, however some of the common changes that can occur in many children and young people under stress. These include:
- increased crying or irritability in younger children,
- A return to behaviours that had placed the child already, such as enuresis or bed-wetting,
- excessive worry or sadness,
- unhealthy eating or sleeping habits,
- Irritability and “acting out” behaviour in teenagers,
- poor or deteriorating school performance or learning refusal,
- Difficulties with attention and concentration,
- Avoidance of activities that have made the child or young person in the past, fun,
- unexplained pain in the head or in other areas of the body,
- Consumption of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs by young people.
You can do
If you are seeing regularly, one or more of the symptoms described above, call the CDC specific ways your child or Teenager can help to overcome the stress situation well:
- Take the time to talk with your child about the outbreak of COVID-19. If your child has questions, answer them as good as possible. They are trying to convey information about COVID-19 so that your child can understand.
- Tell your child that it is safe. Let it know that it is okay, if feelings such as excitement or fear show up. Share with your child how you deal with your own Stress and your feelings; so your child can learn from them, good with his own emotions.
- Limit the time your child is faced with news about the Corona-crisis, including social media. Children could what you hear, interpret it wrong, and about something don’t be scared, you understand.
- You are trying to find a new solid daily routine. While the schools are closed, create a schedule for learning activities, relaxation time and activities that make your child have fun.
- You are a role model: take regular breaks, get enough sleep, make sure you get enough exercise and eat healthy. Keep in touch to your circle of friends and family.
These tips are, of course, for all of the families and also for the prevention of sense.
How can you take children’s fear of the Corona-Virus that you can read in our article
“Corona-panic: children’s fear of the Coronavirus take”.
You take good care of yourself
The CDC stresses that children and young people are strongly influenced by their environment and role models. Therefore, it is important that you can find for yourself a good way, with the current charges due to the Corona pandemic. Ideas and suggestions you can find in our articles:
- “Corona-crisis: Five tips for mental wellbeing” and
- “COVID-19: What’s important now to stay healthy”.
Get support and
If you or your children need further assistance, please do not hesitate to make use of them. The Federal Ministry for family Affairs, senior citizens, women and youth has summarized on its website all of the support services for families. There you will also find the telephone numbers for the free parents phone as well as phone counselling for children, young people and parents. (kh)