Effect of coronavirus (COVID 19) lockdown on the mental health of children
The coronavirus crisis and the restrictive measures taken to restrain the outbreak have a negative impact on people's mental health and wellbeing. Children and teenagers are among the vulnerable group.
Social distancing, the disruption of their normal routine due to the closure of schools, missing the friends and 24/7 inescapable news coverage are challenges that are affecting them. It is natural to feel stress, anxiety, fear, and loneliness currently.
The constant inundation of bad news can be very disturbing for a child. Common issues are being scared about catching the COVID-19, concerned for the family members and worries about death. Their daily routine has been halted for a couple of weeks. It's being very difficult for them to cope with these challenges.
Around-the-clock news flashing pictures of empty roads, shops, and charts of death rates is making them panic on the pandemic that is picking up so fast and dominating our day to day life.
Children are skipping their daily self-care routine. Excessive use of television and misuse of mobile phones for fun works, games only are even causing physical, mental and social harm on its own. While parents themselves are having to juggle looking after their children while working from home.
In order to mitigate the psychological effect of the lockdown, we as parents must talk to the child about the virus to understand the facts whilst providing emotional support.
According to UNICEF "School shutdown is also a chance to make a better relationship with our children and teenagers." Parents and their children should create a flexible but consistent daily routine.
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has issued six parenting tips for parenting during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. And they are:
1. One–on-one time
- One-on-One time is free and fun. It makes children feel loved and secure and shows them that they are important.
- With babies or toddlers, parents can copy their facial expressions or sounds, sing songs, tell stories or share pictures.
- With young children, read books, walk outside around home, dance or sing songs, doing household works as playing games, helping with their course books.
- With teenagers, talking about something they like: sports, music, friends, exercise together, watch an informative TV program
2. Keeping positive
Parents need to be positive while reacting to our child. It might be difficult to feel positive while children driving crazy but positive reinforcement is very useful to them. Be flexible so that teenagers could communicate with you.
3. Get structured
- Creating a flexible but consistent daily routine for study activities as well as free time
- Teaching child about keeping safe distances by writing a note or drawing pictures to share with people
- Making handwashing and hygiene fun by making 20sec song and praising them for good habits.
4. Bad behavior
As children get tired, hungry or afraid they might catch bad behavior, but we need to keep calm and show consequence. Praising for being good, and consistent routines will reduce bad behavior.
5. Keep calm and manage stress
Parents need to keep calm, as everyone is facing the same situation. Yoga or relaxation techniques might help.
6. Talking about COVID – 19
Children are very curious to learn new things, talk about the virus and its consequences, the current situation, what they know about the virus, etc., which help them to ventilate.
Hence parents play a great role in minimizing psychological stress and making them able to ventilate their turmoil. Talking to them will help children realize they are not alone and that the shutdown is just temporary for our own betterment. It’s very helpful if parents allow them to make time for themselves, create a daily routine to limit the impact having time off and can have on mood, sleep, TV, exercises, schoolwork or hobbies.
By Shubha Devi Sapkota
M.Sc. Nursing (Child Health Nursing)
The coronavirus crisis and the restrictive measures taken to restrain the outbreak have a negative impact on people's mental health and wellbeing. Children and teenagers are among the vulnerable group.
Social distancing, the disruption of their normal routine due to the closure of schools, missing the friends and 24/7 inescapable news coverage are challenges that are affecting them. It is natural to feel stress, anxiety, fear, and loneliness currently.
The constant inundation of bad news can be very disturbing for a child. Common issues are being scared about catching the COVID-19, concerned for the family members and worries about death. Their daily routine has been halted for a couple of weeks. It's being very difficult for them to cope with these challenges.
Around-the-clock news flashing pictures of empty roads, shops, and charts of death rates is making them panic on the pandemic that is picking up so fast and dominating our day to day life.
Children are skipping their daily self-care routine. Excessive use of television and misuse of mobile phones for fun works, games only are even causing physical, mental and social harm on its own. While parents themselves are having to juggle looking after their children while working from home.
In order to mitigate the psychological effect of the lockdown, we as parents must talk to the child about the virus to understand the facts whilst providing emotional support.
According to UNICEF "School shutdown is also a chance to make a better relationship with our children and teenagers." Parents and their children should create a flexible but consistent daily routine.
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has issued six parenting tips for parenting during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. And they are:
1. One–on-one time
- One-on-One time is free and fun. It makes children feel loved and secure and shows them that they are important.
- With babies or toddlers, parents can copy their facial expressions or sounds, sing songs, tell stories or share pictures.
- With young children, read books, walk outside around home, dance or sing songs, doing household works as playing games, helping with their course books.
- With teenagers, talking about something they like: sports, music, friends, exercise together, watch an informative TV program
2. Keeping positive
Parents need to be positive while reacting to our child. It might be difficult to feel positive while children driving crazy but positive reinforcement is very useful to them. Be flexible so that teenagers could communicate with you.
3. Get structured
- Creating a flexible but consistent daily routine for study activities as well as free time
- Teaching child about keeping safe distances by writing a note or drawing pictures to share with people
- Making handwashing and hygiene fun by making 20sec song and praising them for good habits.
4. Bad behavior
As children get tired, hungry or afraid they might catch bad behavior, but we need to keep calm and show consequence. Praising for being good, and consistent routines will reduce bad behavior.
5. Keep calm and manage stress
Parents need to keep calm, as everyone is facing the same situation. Yoga or relaxation techniques might help.
6. Talking about COVID – 19
Children are very curious to learn new things, talk about the virus and its consequences, the current situation, what they know about the virus, etc., which help them to ventilate.
Hence parents play a great role in minimizing psychological stress and making them able to ventilate their turmoil. Talking to them will help children realize they are not alone and that the shutdown is just temporary for our own betterment. It’s very helpful if parents allow them to make time for themselves, create a daily routine to limit the impact having time off and can have on mood, sleep, TV, exercises, schoolwork or hobbies.
By Shubha Devi Sapkota
M.Sc. Nursing (Child Health Nursing)
https://swasthyakhabar.com/story/31592
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