Ways to Nurture Children's Mental Health: Addressing the Pandemic
Posted by EYR Team on 1st Feb 2021
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It is common as an adult to experience a sense of worry or uncertainty about the situations that we may find ourselves in that are out of our control. It is just as common for little children to feel the same way but to an extent these feelings are elevated as children are still developing and getting to grips with their emotions and feelings.
The one positive we can take from the global pandemic and subsequent lockdowns is that it shone a light onto mental health and how best to support it. In this blog we will cover different ways to nurture children's mental health, from discussing difficult topics such as the pandemic, to helpful tips that may support your child to feel more in control.
Identifying needs
Addressing children's mental health starts with identifying their needs. Some children may be unable to verbalise their feelings, but may exhibit behaviours associated with worry. This could include any of the following and more:
- becoming quiet
- changes in personality
- signs of distress such as fidgeting, picking or scratching
- issues sleeping
- issues with eating
- struggling to concentrate
Creating a space for children to talk about their feelings is crucial. This can be anywhere as long as your child feels safe and comfortable.
Talking about a difficult topic
For this we are going to use the example of the pandemic as it is so prevalent in day to day life at the time of publication.
- Find out what your child already knows, ask questions for your child's age level. Follow your child's lead. Some may want to spend time talking, but if they don’t, that's OK.
- Offer reassurance and honesty. Focus on helping your child feel safe, but be truthful, don't offer more detail than your child is interested in.
- If your child asks about something and you don't know the answer, say so. Use the question as a chance to find out together.
- Speak calmly and reassuringly.
- Give children space to share their fears. It's natural for them to worry.
- Know when they need guidance. Be aware of how your children get news and information, especially those who go online. Point them to age appropriate sites and content.
How to help your child feel in control
Again we will be relying on the example of the global pandemic for our advice.
- Give your child specific things to do to feel in control. This could be encouraging children to wash their hands regularly to feel more in control of catching the virus
- Talk about all the things that are happening to keep people safe and healthy. They will be reassured to know that hospitals and doctors are prepared to treat people who get sick and that vaccines have been developed to stop people becoming infected and really ill. These talks can also help to manage changes to normal routines.
- Put news stories in context. If they ask, explain that serious illness and death in children from the virus is still rare, despite what they might hear. Watch the news with your children so you can filter what they hear.
The coronavirus pandemic has brought massive changes in all our lives and routines, and can be an anxious time for all. Spending time doing a positive activity with your child can help reassure them and reduce their anxiety. It’s also a great way of providing a space for them to talk through their concerns, without having a ‘big chat’. For more educational resources to help your little ones express their emotions, visit our PSHE pages.
Sharing advice between others and creating a community of support is a great way to reassure one another and support our children together. Share your advice and ideas with us on social media by tagging us in your posts or stories and we will reshare.