Tips for protecting our children's mental health in Covid times

“Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary.” – Fred Rogers

As parents and carers, we can see an emerging silent pandemic is affecting our children's mental health. Covid-19 has had severe impact on our ways of life as we have known to be normal. There are both direct and indirect consequences of this ghastly pandemic that has left no one untouched. The pandemic has not just killed people but the shut-downs imposed to contain the virus, have impacted on businesses. This, in turn, has impacted on jobs. The effect of this is financial distress, impact on family relationships and social isolations, which might take a long time to heal.

What we are experiencing around us is hard for us to digest as adults, let alone what is going through the minds of our children. As a result of this, we might see some changes to their behaviour, like mood swings, anxiety, restlessness, lack of attention and motivation. It is important that we handle this with great care and seek appropriate professional help without leaving it too late, if we can't manage it ourselves.

Here are some tips for protecting our children's mental health that might help.

Explain that we are not in it alone and do what we need to

As parents, we need to sit down with our children and acknowledge that we are going through a difficult time. However, we are not alone in this journey. Together we will have the strength to overcome this challenge. If we follow the advises of our health professionals and our government, we will come out of this in time.

Pay attention to any signs of mental stress and reach out

The challenge of understanding what goes on in the minds of our children is real. On one side of the spectrum, they are too young to express their feelings. On the other side, they are not willing to do so openly. This is where we need to use our communication and observation skills to 'read' what is going on in their minds. Engage with them through physical activities, family and individual time together. You can cook, play board games, etc. You can even try something innovative and fun, like even throwing a paper ball into a waste bin from increasing distance.

Don't forget that everyone needs to have some individual time and space, your children included. Talk to them privately about how they are feeling and that you are there for them and love them unconditionally. This will go a long way in protecting your children's mental health and wellbeing.

Encourage them to create a routine and focus on what they can control

One major fallout of Covid-19 on children is their loss of control on their way of life. This pandemic has filled their lives with uncertainties. Therefore, as parents, we need to find ways to give them back some controls of their lives and get their confidence and self-esteem on track. One way of doing that is by encouraging them to create a routine that they can follow through. The most effective approach is to mix a variety that includes academic, physical, social activities. They can include yoga, mindfulness, and creative activities, gardening, time with pets etc. in the routine.

Connecting with friends and family

Covid-19 has resulted in the termination of face-to-face personal interactions that we were so accustomed to in our pre-Covid way of life. While we have been able to work from our homes and spend more time with our families, we have lost in terms of our interactions with others. Therefore, we need to find ways of connecting face-to-face and having a conversations with our friends and families. We should encourage our children to do so too. Such conversations have a personal touch and is different from the chat messages that our children are so used to. We have to play our part as positive role-models and encourage our children to have face-to-face conversations.

Positive thinking and looking forward to the future when Covid is under control

Positive thinking is the key to getting over any stressful situation. The one that we are all currently facing is no exception. By stressing on the fact that we are going through this bad patch together, we will come out of this as more resilient individuals. Nothing lasts forever and Covid will soon be under control and we will bounce back to our way of life as we knew it. Obviously there will be some permanent changes as a result. But we will definitely be able to see our friends and relatives, play our sports, visit places. This is something that all of us are looking forward to.

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Here are some useful links (for Australian residents):
•In case of danger or threat to life call 000
•Kids Helpline is a confidential counselling service available 24/7 on 1800 55 1800
•1800RESPECT is a 24/7 counselling service available on 1800 737 732 for sexual assault and domestic violence 
•Youth BeyondBlue can be contacted 24/7 on 1300 22 4636 for 12-25 years old who may be  experiencing anxiety, depression or suicidal intentions