Emotional Wellness of Your Children in The Times of COVID – 19

Children presently are experiencing a world which is very contradictory to what they were living 24/7 a month and a half back; now there is no getting up early in the morning, ‘No school thus no school bus honking, no classroom study time, no friends to play with, no cycling on roads and the list goes on……. But what then they see the whole day inside the house, Now mamma and papa are no more going to the office but they are not free either they have learned a new abbreviation WFH (Work from Home). Grandfather is all the time watching news channels which have all become more like a horror show giving the increased data of continuous deaths counts. Across the world they see mass movement of people migrating for food, the police force, paramedical staff are all time appearing on the T.V screen controlling, crying, treating patients suffering from the deadly virus the novel Covid-19.

When we as adults are struggling handling such sudden changes in our lifestyle imagine what they must be going through. In this extraordinary times above everything we just have to set two top most priorities; first is their physical wellbeing and the other is their emotional wellbeing.

If you are at home following all the important guidelines issued by the Health Ministry in times of Covid -19 pandemic you are physically safe. Now as parents the entire focus thereafter needs to be on the emotional wellbeing of your children.

The first and the foremost is to understand that they are going through a mental turmoil which makes them fail to understand why can they not meet their friends physically and play football and cricket on the ground? Why can they not go for group studies or meet together over coffee?

So, first of all as adults we need to understand that if they are confused they may put it up in the form of exhibiting more in a reactive manner they may have extreme mood swings as a result. But as parents with our level of maturity the best way to handle this without spoiling the family atmosphere is to handle these situations with the most important attributes of all that is called as ‘EMPATHY. It’s putting yourself in their shoes. Whenever you see them disturbed; just simply say- I understand what you must be feeling right now how much you must be missing on your friends your school or college. Even I somewhat feel the same. At least in this manner you are able to relax them in a manner that it is okay to have such emotions. You can make them comfortable and more at ease by talking to them about the best times they have had with their friends let them share incidents when they played pranks at school at least going back to the memory lane will soothe them temporarily.

Another is engaging them as per their area of interest it may be reading books, practicing on their punching bags, gardening, trying their hands on cooking watching their favorite shows on screen, virtual chat with friends.
It is also important to unanimously set some kind of routines and agenda of the day to accelerate, motivate and give some purpose to them. Occupying their minds with activities and chores is equally important.

All this what we are passing through right now is temporary but remember you are knowingly or unknowingly teaching your children to handle their emotions they will understand the difference between ‘Reaction and Response’. This help them go a long way in their life and helping them to become more positive in their life and grow up as emotionally balanced adults who can find their way out in any tough to handle situations in life.

Best Wishes Always
Monica Jaiswal
Principal
Sarvankash Vidya Mandir