The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the normal functioning and activities within our daily lives. This is especially true for children who have had to quickly transition to remote learning. With social distancing, remote learning, and homeschooling, those in quarantine have reported experiencing irritability, anxiety, fear, frustration, boredom, confusion, anger, loneliness, helplessness, and insomnia. Since children and teens are also adjusting to the new reality of spending more time at home and engaging in fewer social interactions with their peers, the stress of these changes could impact their relationships, academic performance, communication skills, and overall well-being. Parents/guardians may notice changes in their children’s behaviors and emotions. They may think those changes will resolve themselves with time; however, those unresolved problems could worsen without the right support.
Here are some emotional or behavioral signs for parents to look for in their children:
- Withdrawing from interactions with others
- Anxiousness
- Irritability or crankiness
- Changes in appetite
- Muscle tension
- Unexplained stomach discomfort or nausea
- Clinginess (mostly seen in younger children)
- Startling easily
- Excessive crying or tantrums
- Poor sleeping
During these difficult times, parents are encouraged to pay keen attention to changes in their child’s emotions and behavior. The following are practical strategies to help parents/guardians support their children as they cope with remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic:
- Check-in on their Feelings. Parents can practice asking questions such as: How are you feeling today? What do you miss most about being in school? What can I do to support you today? Asking open-ended and close-ended questions encourages your child to reflect on and verbalize their emotions. Their responses will also give you access to the challenges that they may be experiencing.
- Modify or Create a Routine. You have probably heard about the importance of creating a routine. Perhaps you may have tried this already, and it worked for a bit, but you were unable to maintain it. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Changing or modifying a routine may be just what you need to adjust to the changes that you and your family are experiencing. Routines create structure and make tasks at home more manageable. Allow your child to get dressed for virtual school so that they can shift their mindset to a more structured model for learning. This will encourage more productivity. Include family breakfast in that routine. And for younger children—include snack time, quiet time, and naptime, if needed. Create a separate zone for work so that work stays in its designated area. This will send a message to your brain that ‘work is work,’ and when it is over you can focus on the other areas that require your attention. The same is true for your children. Encourage them to use one dedicated space for school-related activities, and when class is over, have them pack away their belongings. Scheduling breaks throughout the day is also helpful. And don’t forget to add ‘me-time’ to your routine so that self-care doesn’t fall by the wayside.
- Be Flexible and Demonstrate Understanding. It’s okay to be flexible. It may be helpful to budge a little when it comes to how and when your child completes their assignments. If either playing music or being in a quiet space helps your child, make those accommodations. If you observe that your child is overwhelmed with school assignments, allow them time away from the task to refocus and then revisit the work with them when you are both in the right frame of mind to tackle the task. Be a tad more understanding. Some children are still adjusting to the lack of in-person interaction with their teachers and peers. And some kids may not like virtual learning at all. Allow your child some flexibility, and show them that you understand their experience and are willing to help them adjust.
- Create Opportunities for Family Fun. While teens may want to spend more time on their devices, watching or making Tik Tok videos, texting their friends, or playing video games, parents/guardians must create a healthy balance for teens. Collaborative activities like DIY projects, family dinners, playing board games, watching a movie or crafting, all help to support their socio-emotional development and create an opportunity for family bonding.
- Incorporate Physical activity. Physical activity has been known to reduce stress, increase mental and emotional wellness, and regulate body function. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic and anaerobic activity per week to lower the risk for diseases. Some medical providers even consider exercise to be a useful adjunct to antidepressant medication. Simply put, exercise improves mood and holistic wellness. Exercise does not have to be intimidating. Walking in the park, jogging, lifting light weights, dancing to a favorite song, yoga, or aerobics can support your family’s physical activity goals.
- Extracurricular Activities. Many businesses have been able to reopen with the implementation of COVID-19 health practices. If you feel comfortable, enroll your child in an extracurricular activity to keep them active while learning a skill and developing discipline. This may provide some balance and bring some normalcy to their new daily routine. This also gives them time to interact with peers and experience a positive change to their environment. Most extracurricular activities have a physical component, which can be extremely helpful not only to one’s physical well-being, but also to one’s mental wellness.
- Introduce deep breathing exercises in daily activities. The respiratory system comprises of a network of organs and tissues that help human beings breathe. Taking deep breaths allows the body to exchange incoming oxygen with outgoing carbon dioxide. Taking slow deep breaths lowers or stabilizes blood pressure. It also reduces tension and anxiety, particularly in stressful situations. Deep breathing further improves concentration and memory. By taking slow, deep breaths, the mind will calm itself, and the body will relax, returning to a healthy balance. Breathing enhances one’s ability to manage stress. Adding breathing exercises to your child’s daily activities is both calming and helps your child to manage difficult emotions as they arise.
- Practice Positive Self-Talk. Positive thinking and positive self-talk can be a liberating practice, particularly for children who struggle with negative emotions. Practicing positive affirmations with your child/ren will help to improve self-confidence, lessen feelings of distress and negative thought patterns, and foster coping skills. This exercise is essential for children falling behind in their courses and for those who believe that they cannot learn the same way in a virtual environment compared to in-person classes. In addition to providing your child with the academic tools they need to support their learning, it is critical to affirm them by using positive reinforcements to foster their emotional well-being. For example, you can teach your child to use phrases such as:
- “I can do this. I was able to do well before, so I can do it again.”
- “It was difficult today, but tomorrow is another opportunity to do things differently.”
- “I am going to do my best today.”
- “I will give this test my best effort.”
Remote learning during COVID-19 is not easy. Parents/guardians are dealing with many challenges, including having competing work obligations, limited space and resources to accommodate their child’s learning needs, Internet bandwidth issues, and fears of the unknown. However, with the right support, parents/guardians can learn how to create an environment that allows their children to thrive.