Your Child's Mental Health And The Pandemic: What To Watch Out For And How To Help

How to help your kids handle the many changes of life as we now know it due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.

The pandemic has brought many changes to our lives and it has made for one tough year.  Not only have people lost their jobs, lost family members to the virus and have had to majorly overhaul how they do things from home, people's mental health have suffered and children are no exception.  We think of kids as resilient and able to deal with these changes but even as adults, these changes have made things difficult in our lives and sometimes we can't even handle them in the best way.  

Signs Your Child May Need Some Support

This isn't always easy to spot, especially in older adolescents who may feel like they have to hide how they're feeling so as not to feel like a burden or stress anyone else out.  Mental health issues, while starting to be spoken about more now, may leave your child feeling ashamed or guilty of what they might be feeling, so they won't always express it in words.

Signs of mental health issues are not the same for every child but there are some common symptoms.

Toddler's and Infants

  • Fussiness, irritable, increased crying
  • Feeding issues, complains that stomach hurts when it hasn't before
  • Separation anxiety has gotten worse, clingy
  • Bedwetting after potty training
  • Waking up more during the night
  • Frequent or more intense tantrums
  • Behavior issues in preschool or daycare. 
  • Persistent nightmares
  • Excessive hyperactivity.
  • More aggressive or withdrawn.

Older Children and Teenagers

  • Withdrawn
  • Drastic changes in mood, mood swings
  • Feeling guilty and ashamed
  • Changes in appetite, increased eating or not eating enough
  • Thoughts of suicide
  • Lack of interest, hopelessness
  • Fatigue and aches
  • Hard to explain changes in behavior.
  • Steep drop in grades

How you can support your child during this time

  • Talk to your child about what's going on. Let them know you can see they are unhappy and are there for them.
  • Let them know they can talk to you, no judgments.  
  • If they don't want to talk at first, try again another time.
  • Support them in activities they typically enjoy. Encourage them to keep up with those activities.
  • If they don't feel they can talk to you, suggest seeking help from a professional.
  • Remind them that they won't always feel this way.  We all have our struggles and things can and will get better. 
  • Spend time with your child. Exercise together (walks count too!), cook together, spend time together.

Helping your child get through depression is not easy to bear witness to but you can help and they can get better and lead productive lives.  Depression does not have to define them and with your encouragement, support and love, they can get through this hard time.

Sources:

Supporting Your Child with Depression and Low Mood

Mental Health During Covid-19: Signs Your Child May Need More Support

5 Things You Can Do To Help Your Child With Depression

 

Stay-at-home mom who loves reading, writing, working out and hanging out with my Little Lion.

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