Supporting children during Covid

Supporting your kids

• All children are different based on their experiences, upbringing, age and personality. Bear this in mind when thinking about how to talk to them.
• You may both be parenting children with lots of questions and concerns.  Try to be united in what you tell them.  It can be a confusing time for them and this can be made worse if they are getting conflicting information from parents.
• Stick to facts and communicate them calmly, consciously and responsibly, using simple language.
• Dispel any myths to help reassure them. Depending on their age you could look up the true facts together from a reliable source such as the government website.
• Talk to them about coronavirus during the day rather than close to bedtime so they can get a good night’s sleep.
• Let them know they can come and talk to you if they are worried about things they have seen or heard from friends or on social media.
• Continue to check in on how your kids are feeling. Things are changing and so may their feelings.
• Get your kids outside in the garden or park to let off some steam but do follow government advice.
• If you feel yourself getting irritated with your children, don’t be too hard on yourself. This is a challenging time for everyone.
• Try to structure your day into manageable chunks. This will help to create a routine and reduce boredom.