As a pediatrician and a mother of three, I realize more than ever we need to find ways to overcome these challenging times, because things can get overwhelming. This is especially true for our children whose routines have been suddenly disrupted, with very little notice for an indefinite amount of time.
For kids, school is a major contributor to social, emotional, and nutritional support. Since the stop of physically attending school, many of these supports are at risk. Compounding these issues is the fact that some kids have parents, grandparents, loved ones, friends, and neighbors that have been infected by this disease. We also know that many families are being financially impacted which creates another layer of stress. Although many kids are now practicing social distancing, it’s important to make sure they are not losing social or intellectual stimulation during this time. Some helpful ways to keep your child engaged are:
- Virtual vacations - Many websites are offering tours of popular sites and historic spots that you only need a computer or smartphone to access! You can show your children the view from the Tokyo Tower, the woods at Algonquin Park, Canada; or the waterways of Kristiansund, Norway; just to name a few!
- Virtual museum trips - Several popular museums including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The American Museum of Natural History, The British Museum, and The National Gallery of Art are all currently offering virtual tours
- Virtual Broadway productions - Many high-quality shows are available to be streamed right now including Shrek the Musical (Netflix) and Fiddler on the Roof (Amazon Prime)
In addition to keeping kids busy, you can find sanity in the chaos by:
- Keeping routines (bedtimes, meals, school work, exercise)
- Keeping an open dialogue with kids about emotions & stress
- Embracing the time together and being grateful for health!
As the Valley Central school physician, I collaborated with others in order to come up with the following resources to share with students and their families. These resources help ease stress for our patients and their families during this time:
For parents:
- The following is a link to help you ease your kid’s anxiety about COVID19: https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/March-2020/How-to-Ease-Children-s-Anxiety-About-COVID-19
- Article for suggestions of how to manage working from home: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2020/04/02/homeschool-working-home-coronavirus/
- To find various resources in our area: https://findhelp.org/
- Emotional support hotline for those living in NY: NY State COVID-19 Emotional Support Line 1-844-863-9314
For Students:
- Website in order for kids to ask questions to a mental health provider anonymously: http://askshirelle.com/join-my-pack/
- Website for many articles about Mental Health issues: https://au.reachout.com/
- Article on mindfulness techniques for different ages: https://positivepsychology.com/mindfulness-for-children-kids-activities/
I hope these resources will be helpful to you and your kids. The pediatricians at Crystal Run Healthcare are here for you and will continue to support your children for their physical and mental well being. Stay safe.
Lin-Lin Y. Remenar, MD, is a Pediatrician at Crystal Run Healthcare. She earned her Medical Degree from Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, PA and completed her Residency in Pediatrics at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago, IL. Dr. Remenar is Board Certified in Pediatrics and sees patients in Middletown.