How Parents Can Handle Stress During Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Recently,
there was a consensus from the American Academy of Pediatrics of how parents
can cope with increased stress due to the recent Coronavirus (COVID-19)
pandemic. Here are some suggestions to
help in this time of crisis.
·
Pay attention to your
child’s stress levels. Children
regardless of their age tend to notice when something is not right with their
parent. It would be best to try to vent
or show your anxiety, stress, and frustration away from your child, if safely
possible. Every child is different so a
child may be feeling anxious or stressed without you knowing.
·
Spend quality time
with them. Are you spending quality time with your
children, or are you spending too much time watching TV or on your
smartphone? Sometimes when a parent is
stressed they don’t realize the lack of quality time spent with their children
since the stress is distracting them or essentially estranging you from your
children. This is a critical time to
monitor your children and reinforce good behavior while disciplining bad
behavior. If you become an “absentee
parent” during this crisis, lasting effects may linger when life restores to
normalcy.
·
Ask them if they are
scared. Children are more intelligent than we like to
think. They may be more aware of their
world than you realize. Older children
are almost certainly capable of being hyper aware of their world. Even if your oldest child appears to be ok,
don’t assume that they are. Reach out to
them and ask if there is anything that is troubling them. A lot of times, the fear can be dispelled
with positive reinforcement. However, if
it’s never discussed, then your child is feeling afraid or anxious when it’s
unnecessary!
·
Find new activities. Sometimes routine helps children, and
sometimes routine negatively affects children due to boredom. Boredom typically is a friend of trouble so
it would be best to attempt new activities to keep things interesting for your
child. Maybe it’s time to dust off that
favorite board game or go for a walk around the neighborhood (if your town
currently allows walking). If your
children are currently not going to school, they may, believe it or not, be
frustrated or anxious about it.
·
Avoid spanking. According to the American Academy of
Pediatrics, spanking, a.k.a. “corporal punishment” may not be as effective as
once thought. Apparently, children
disciplined with corporal punishment which include, but not limits to,
spanking, hitting, whipping etc. could lead to a detrimental outcome in the
child’s development, including, but not limiting to, brain development and
emotional intelligence development.1 This may make the child not feel safe at home
when the feeling of safety is really what is needed right now.
·
If you feel that
you’re at a point of mental breakdown, reach out to someone. If you feel you are at a point of “losing it”
you may need to reach out to a friend, relative, and / or health
officials. The last thing you want to do
is lash out at your children due to being under emotional duress related to
Coronavirus.
If
you a parent / victim of domestic abuse and need to talk to a family law
attorney, please do not hesitate to contact Fernandez, Socci & Nieves
Family Law. If this is a domestic abuse
emergency, please contact 911 or your local police department.
1 The American Academy of Pediatrics Advises Parents Experiencing Stress Over COVID-19 Link: (https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/Pages/The-American-Academy-of-Pediatrics-Advises-Parents-Experiencing-Stress-over-COVID-19.aspx).
About the Firm
Fernandez, Socci & Nieves Family Law, based in North Andover, Massachusetts, not only serves North Andover, MA, but also Andover, MA, Methuen, MA, Boxford, MA, and West Boxford, MA and surrounding areas, including Southern New Hampshire. The law firm has consistently been recognized as a “Best Law Firm” from in US. News & World Report . If you are considering divorce, or have other family law-related concerns such as child custody, mediation / arbitration, modifications, pre-nuptial / post-nuptial, or paternity matters, consider contacting Fernandez, Socci & Nieves Family Law.
For more information and to discuss your situation with an experienced family law / divorce attorney in North Andover, MA, please visit our website. To learn more about the U.S. News & World Report of Fernandez, Socci & Nieves Family Law, click here .
For a family law and divorce consultation serving Andover, MA,
contact us at Fernandez, Socci & Nieves Family Law
(978) 681-5454 info@fsnfamilylaw.com
In accordance with rules established by the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, this web site and/or web page must be labeled "advertising." It is designed to provide general information for clients and friends of the firm and should not be construed as legal advice, or legal opinion on any specific facts or circumstances. This web site and/or web page is designed for general information only. The information presented at this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice nor the formation of a lawyer/client relationship.
Thanks for this. I really like what you've posted here and wish you the best of luck with this blog and thanks for sharing. Fort Lauderdale Divorce Mediator
ReplyDelete