Tips for Keeping Your Child Calm Amid COVID-19

It’s challenging trying to work from home and supervise your children during a pandemic. Most younger children might not understand what a pandemic is, they are just happy to see mom or dad home every day but, what about older kids? They aren't able to go to school, or even hang out with their friends. The last thing we want is our children to start having anxiety and stressing over the virus. Here are a few different ways to try to keep your child calm amid COVID-19.

Consider a holistic approach. 

What is CBD oil? “CBD” stands for Cannabidiol; it’s naturally found in cannabis plants. CBD doesn’t have THC, so it won’t give you a “high.” Although there’s more research to be done, some animal and human studies indicate that CBD oil may help reduce anxiety in both children and adults. In fact, preclinical evidence suggests that CBD oil may play a role in treating some anxiety disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder, social anxiety disorder, and post-traumatic stress syndrome.

As always, you should speak to your doctor before adding a new product to you or your child’s daily wellness routine. The good news? CBD oil is available just about anywhere. In fact, you can buy CBD Oil online. What’s more? CBD comes in a variety of forms and products including capsules, topicals, or gummies. (It's also gluten-free!)

Take advantage of screentime. 

Right now, your kids are probably fighting over their tablets, aren't they? While we’re usually trying to pry our child’s fingers from their keyboards, now is the time to take advantage of screen time. Use social media as a way to boost your child’s social skills safely or take advantage of one or more of YouTube’s free fitness classes. Who knows? Engaging in some physical activities like yoga or dance videos might spark an interest in a new hobby even post-pandemic.

Just don’t forget to keep an eye on what they’re up to. You wouldn't want them watching the news where the issues of this virus are front and center.

Therapy isn’t an adults-only club. 

If your child has a hard time expressing how they feel about things or has issues with communication, you may want to consider a child therapist. Taking care of your child’s mental health is just as important as looking after their physical health. While some children like to talk it out, others may hide behind a mask.

Before setting anything in stone, attempt to talk with your child to see how they’d feel about talking with a “new friend.” Let your child know it's OK to embrace their feelings and that they’ll be safe. 

Despite the pandemic, it’s not impossible to create a somewhat normal schedule. 

If you’re still scratching your head for ways to keep your child calm, try to distract them with a full and consistent schedule. Think about it: Your child is used to living on some sort of schedule during the school year, but now that there's been a wrench thrown into the mix, everything has gone a bit wonky.

For example, you could start the mornings out with a walk around the neighborhood after breakfast. This is the best way to get out and get some fresh air and clear their mind. In the afternoon, why not have them paint a picture. The children might also like using some chalk to draw on the driveway or sidewalk. Maybe pull out a big puzzle to really get them thinking.

Being a parent is hard (even when there’s not a pandemic going on), so give yourself a break. We’re all new to this stay-at-home lifestyle and we’re all in this together. Take things day-by-day and hope for the best. More importantly, do what’s best for your kids. Communicate with them and reassure them. If they have questions, be open and honest about what's going on, but assure them it's only temporary and things will get back to normal soon.