Raising healthy children during the Covid-19 pandemic
We know that positive experiences, especially close relationships, promote healthy child development and allow us to weather the ups and downs of life beyond the current pandemic.
At the same time, negative experiences such as child abuse, neglect, and family challenges can cause lasting damage to their mental and physical health.
While many parents don’t think about child abuse, raising awareness during this health crisis is key. That’s because the increased stress on families due to the virus can increase the risk of children being abused by their loved ones.
Children are now homeschooled, parents are working from home, or may have lost their jobs, so children who are being abused or neglected are likely to go unnoticed to help them.
The increased pressure on some families can lead to domestic violence that deeply affects children.
Top Tips for Raising Children Healthily During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Talking to children
Ask children about their feelings: Try to listen without judgment. Just listening strengthens your relationships with your children.
Children need to know how important they are: Explain to them why physical distancing, staying home, not playing outside with their friends, and not going to school are personal sacrifices they are making for the good of everyone. Understanding this and talking about it as a shared sacrifice builds the foundation for empathy.
Address children's fears:
Older children may be anxious to watch the news, not understanding what they are seeing. Although the news is scary, we can be honest and reassuring by explaining how social distancing is helping and how scientists around the world are working together to help solve the crisis.
Many families are experiencing financial stress: It's okay to talk to your children about your experience and what you're doing about it. Find resources to help you get through this difficult time.
Working from home: While this is a blessing, it can be confusing for kids and stressful for us. For younger children, it can be helpful to establish a routine so they know when they can interrupt you and what activities they can do while you work.
Be kind to your children:
It is not possible to be productive at work and always be available to your children. It is okay to turn on the TV and let the children watch a movie or play a video game to give you time to focus.
Sometimes parents need time for themselves too: It’s okay to take a moment to breathe deeply. Our kids today are watching and learning how to deal with stress appropriately. Try to stay calm and don’t apologize for taking time for yourself so that you have something to offer your kids when you are able.
Community outreach and preservation
Kindness to Families: We are seeing an outpouring of kindness toward families with children. Neighbors are giving diapers to families struggling economically, putting teddy bears in their windows for young children to find. Think about what you can do for families in your community.
More technology is okay: Maintaining our social relationships and those of our children means relying more than ever on the internet. Parents can relax their rules around internet use and allow children to frequently connect with their friends online. Likewise, having a virtual coffee with a friend can reduce our isolation.
Expect periods of depression or anxiety: Those who have dealt with similar situations in the past may want to seek help early. If you, a friend, or a family member are thinking about harming themselves, try to get help right away by contacting a doctor or mental health provider.
Physical distancing is crucial to preventing the spread of the virus. At the same time, social connections are more important than ever to prevent child abuse and neglect.
During Child Abuse Prevention Month and beyond, we can all focus on making sure our kids have good stories to tell their grandchildren.
Top Tips for Positive Parenting for Your Children in the Digital World
Many parents and guardians are confused about how to engage their children in a healthy way with technology so that they acquire the skills and habits that will prepare them in the future to become successful digital people.
There are several tips and steps that help make technology work in a healthy and beneficial way for family members according to scientific standards that suit different age stages.
Balance
There’s a delicate balance to be struck when it comes to regulating the use of technology and connected devices. There’s no one formula for success, but each family learns what works through experimentation. Each family has different parenting styles and values, but one key, says social psychologist Adam Altar, is to avoid spending too much time passively staring at screens. Screen time (whether on phones or tablets) shouldn’t come at the expense of time for physical activity or real-life interactions. Set rules for tech-free times, such as mealtimes, in the car, and on school nights.
Unhealthy uses
Psychologist John Lasar, who co-wrote Raising Balanced Kids in a Hyperconnected World, says parents should note what they face when preventing unhealthy technology use:
- Children complain of feeling bored or unhappy when they don't have access to technology.
- Having angry outbursts or rough resistance when you set time limits on smartphone or tablet use
- Overlap between technology use, sleep, school, and face-to-face contact
Keeping up with the latest developments
As children grow, their relationships with technology evolve, and it’s hard to predict what the digital world will look like even a few years from now. So parents should regularly update their definitions of healthy and unhealthy technology uses, by trying to answer these questions on an ongoing basis:
- Are they accessing age-appropriate content?
- Are the apps they use interactive and thought-provoking rather than passive?
- Are privacy settings set for older children's social media and other online accounts that restrict and limit who can contact children?
role model
Technology is as compelling to parents as it is to children. They check their phones all the time, work late, and browse their phones and tablets frequently. Some even use devices in front of their children while walking, texting or making a phone call. Children are likely to not only imitate adults’ behavior, but also compete with them for their attention.
learning from children
There are a number of benefits to playing or watching alongside your child. Simply monitoring the content they access will help your child learn more as your family interacts with them and discusses what they like to use and why. If your child seems to be light years ahead of their parents in terms of tech acumen, it’s important to teach them what they’ve learned. It’s a great way to build confidence and help parents keep up with the new experiences their child is having.
Create child accounts
Children in this age group need to use a computer for homework. Parental controls built into operating systems can help set time limits, as well as restrict apps and internet usage.
Encourage creativity
Technology has a lot to offer kids, but it's the apps adults choose for kids that make the difference and help them be creative, innovative, and grow into successful adults.
Privacy and Security
The safety conversation should be started early and talked about often. Children should be reminded that what happens online stays online and that they should never share personally identifiable or sensitive information.
The right age for phones
In this day and age, some kids may want their own phone, as some of their friends probably have phones. According to research by Nielsen, the most common age when kids get a phone with a service plan is 10, followed by 8, 9, and 11. Most parents get phones for their kids so they can easily communicate with them or track their location for safety reasons.
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