Over the past year, COVID-19 has been spreading rapidly around the world. Governments have imposed measures aimed at limiting the spread of the virus, such as closing schools, quarantines, home isolation and more. Each of the restrictions affected the children or the household in which they lived. These circumstances are beyond normal experience and bring stress, anxiety and a sense of helplessness to everyone. Compared to adults, however, the pandemic may continue to have increased long-term adverse consequences for children and adolescents (Shen et al., 2020). For them, isolation affects their emotional and social development.
A number of researchers are conducting local and global studies aimed at understanding how the COVID situation is affecting children, their health, safety, learning, their family's financial situation and their overall well-being. As well as to determine what the needs of children and their families are in these times.
Key research findings:
1. Security
- Increased levels of violence and risk of violence at home. In a large proportion of households, a child and/or a parent has reported verbal or physical abuse since the beginning of the measures to deal with the pandemic.
- Research shows that there are still children who don't know how to keep themselves safe online and what information should or shouldn't be shared there, which is worrying given the dramatic increase in screen time in the current situation .
2. Emotional well-being
- The vast majority of children and their parents share an increase in negative emotions as a result of the pandemic. Parents notice signs of distress in their children, such as nightmares, decreased appetite, irritability, problems with separation, clinginess, anxiety, distractibility, an obsessive need to be informed about the situation, and fear that they themselves or someone close to them will get the virus.
- Most of the children who did not see their friends because of the restrictions reported feeling unhappier, more anxious and more insecure.
- In children with special needs, there was an increase in nighttime incontinence, unusual crying and shouting compared to before the start of the pandemic, according to parents.
3. Education
- Locking children and adolescents at home and depriving them of a structured daily routine at school for a long time leads to disruption of routine, boredom, lack of innovative ideas (Lee, 2020). It also leads to uncertainty and anxiety, which leads to difficulties in the learning process as well.
4. Factors affecting parents and post-factor child well-being
- Loss of income in the family is associated with violence at home, separation of children from their parents, increased negative emotions in children, decreased psycho-social well-being of parents.
- A relationship is observed between a higher number of children entrusted to the care of one parent and manifestations of aggression in the household, decreased psycho-social well-being, separation of children from parents and burden of household duties that hinder children's education.
Recommendations
In these times of uncertainty and stress, the secure family environment that parents can provide is a strong protective factor (Schofield et al., 2013). Parents should meet the needs of their children, of course, in accordance with their age.
Small children
► Understand, that something outside the normal is happening.
- Inform them in an age-appropriate way.
- Restrict their access to news outlets with the goal of reducing their anxiety (Wang et al., 2020)
► Need more attention from their parents.
- Find time to play with your children and to give them positive attention and support.
► Develop a daily routine/structure for the child.
- Make sure they have enough time to play, read, rest, and take part in other physical activities at home.
- Play board games as a family, reducing time for video games and spending time together at the same time.
- Keep the children's sleep schedule the same as before.
► Place emphasis on the children's good behaviour, rather than their bad behaviour.
- Reinforce positive activities and behaviours.
Adolescents
► Multiple of the abovementioned recommendations are applicable.
- They are much better informed about what is happening than little children, so speak with them openly.
► Parents are the best role model.
- Give a good example to your children on how to deal with the difficulties, uncertainties, and your own emotions.
► The situation is a good opportunity for children to learn responsibility, inclusivity, and cooperation.
- Give them more responsibility.
- Include them in family talks about taking concrete solutions, especially in those that concern them. This would increase their sense of control.
► Restrict time spent in front of a screen.
- Encourage other activities and/or games, that do not require the use of electronic devices.
- Creative activities such as drawing, music, dance, could be beneficial for the mental health and well-being of children.
► Encourage children to socialize and keep contact with their friends through the use of different channels where they have space to discuss common problems and emotions.
► And last, but not least take care of your own needs and mental health and try to deal with the stress adaptively.
In the event that you notice signs of distress in your children that you cannot handle on your own, it is better to seek help from specialists!