Most young kids will remember how their family home felt during the coronavirus panic more than anything specific about the virus. Our kids are watching us and learning about how to respond to stress and uncertainty. Let’s wire them for resilience, not panic.
Here are some things to keep in mind as we all try to manage life and parenting in this high-stress time period:
1. Calm yourself.
We have to manage our own anxiety first. Here are some ideas to combat the anxiety about the pandemic:
Deep breathing. If you don’t know how to do a good diaphragmatic breath, this is the time to learn. Deep breaths that go into your diaphragm and go out slowly through your mouth help activate our parasympathetic nervous system, which helps us calm down.
Walking. Find ways to walk around in open air. We need to get off our computers and phones and connect with our bodies and nature. Commit to a 10-minute phone-free walk each day.