This article from Children’s Mental Health Ontario gives suggestions like: Keep your own anxiety and fears in mind, encourage helpful and realistic routine and predictability, do not try to recreate school/community routines but make this time your own, be active in any way possible, talk to kids and loved ones. There are lots of good tips and info in this article.
As a mom working at home, a spouse who is an essential worker, and with two teenagers, I am certainly trying my best. I am trying my best to keep my cool, get my work done, and keep the kids “active”. I have one youth who I don’t need to worry about and one who I do worry about. The one I don’t worry about always finds things to do, takes school seriously, bounces back to routine after holidays, and does not spend hours upon hours on video games (certainly more right now than usual, but I think many parents are needing to be more relaxed about that right now).
The other youth, well that is another story. I have realized that it would do us no good to get angry or stress about getting them to do school work and chores. Those things are struggles on the good days. I try to give lots of reminders, ask for help with chores, listen to the jokes and things they want to share with me, and invite them to share in activities with me. The one I worry about, well I’ve given that child-of-mine some new graphic novels to read and ‘have the dog’ ask for walks. This is enough for right now. We will return to a new normal.
How is your family doing? What are your priorities with your family right now?
