For 2+ years now, our children have been dealing with these unprecedented times. I know we all have, but as grown-ups, we have more tools in place to cope as we have experienced more life. Obviously, this specific situation is something unique to all of us, but most of us have survived some form of loss, tragedy, or heartache. Consequentially, we are better equipped to deal with change.
The children…not so much. After all, they are just kids! They should be experiencing life to the fullest right now. They shouldn’t have to miss out on going to school, participating in sports, or other extra-curricular activities. They shouldn’t have to experience their parents struggling with job lay-offs or other issues the pandemic has forced upon us. My heart breaks for the issues that these children are dealing with. Although I have faith that they will survive (they are more resilient than we give them credit for) I still hurt for them.
I’ve talked with tons of parents and teachers and found that they’re all struggling to find ways to help improve our children’s mental health. How can we support the young generation during these times? What kinds of strategies can we implement to support emotional regulation?
There are many ways we can support a child’s emotions. Every child and situation is different, so it’s important that they have tools to help manage challenging moments and big emotions. Here are a few ideas you may like to try that will help them develop coping skills. I have written about them in the past, but I wanted to share again because I feel it’s so important during these times!
1. Journaling – There’s no a safer place to process our emotions. Often, children have a hard time articulating how they’re feeling and possibly don’t know why they’re feeling a certain way. Writing or drawing in a journal helps them understand their thoughts and feelings and release them onto the page. Sometimes this is all that they need.
2. Conscious listening – Put down the electronic devices, be present, and listen when they are upset. When we are truly listening, we can validate, empathize, and encourage them to identify their emotions and then ask them what might help - problem solve together.
3. Creativity – Drawing, painting, dancing, acting, singing…being creative in any way is a great outlet to express emotions.
4. Exercise – Any type of movement that can be done both indoors and outdoors – stretching, running, biking, jumping jacks, etc.
5. Mindfulness – Mindfulness isn’t an activity; it’s a way of life. Kids will learn more from our behaviour than our words. So, if we practice different mindfulness activities daily, not only will it improve our health, but it will give children the tools to deal with the stress of everyday life; this helps them become more resilient. We can practice deep breathing together when both our emotions are heightened, we can do meditation together at their bedtime, and we can do a few yoga poses in the morning to help them focus on the “now.”
6. Sensory toys – Fidget tools such as stress balls, bendable sticks, or putty have been scientifically proven to help with self-regulation, reduce anxiety, and stress, among many other benefits; particularly, they help children focus.
I have used these tools with children for over 20 years, and I can promise you that they do work if used consistently. I believe teaching these tools is just as important as academics; maybe even more so. Life is tough; it’s full of stress, worries, up and downs, emotions, and we all have a lot of feelings we need to understand and process. If we teach our children about themselves early on in life, they will be so much more prepared to deal with the journey. Incorporate these into children’s daily routine and watch them soar!
Until next time…