EP. 103 Five Tips for Supporting Our Kids Through the Pandemic

To View the Video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/NS6Vtt047Ug

SHOW NOTES

Welcome to a new week of the Hope Rescue Podcast! We are continuing a short series this week answering questions that were sent in by listeners. Last week we discussed how to keep the romance alive in your marriage during the lockdown. This week we are discussing how to handle children’s emotions during the pandemic. Keep reading or listening to find out!

If you have school-aged children, you have probably been asked when the pandemic will end and life will go back to normal. Not only have our kids' lives been completely disrupted from everyday routines such as going to school, having playdates, and visiting with family, but our kids are also possibly living with a newfound fear of the virus itself. How can we help our children handle their big emotions during these times?

1. Understand that children have an immature view of time. This is why kids will ask, “Are we there yet?” on a road trip but not adults. They struggle to delay gratification, because it has to be learned through experience. As the parents, it’s part of our job to teach our children delayed gratification.

2. See this time together with your children as a gift of time. Allow your life to slow down so you can bond as a family. Kimberly suggests adding structure into the day so the children know what to expect. If they used to have recess everyday at 10 AM at school and they loved it, why not add a 10 AM recess at home? Get into set routines, especially throughout the weekdays, and you and your children will have a smoother time being at home together.

3. Take control of what you can and don’t focus on what you can’t. We cannot control when the pandemic will end or when things will go back to normal. We can control what happens in our homes and how we set our children up for success. Provide your children with milestones to reach and plan something or reward them when they reach them. Set goals for your children that leave them in control of when and how they will accomplish them.

4. Don’t discipline your children for feeling emotions. Talk with your children, ask what they are feeling, and really listen to what they have to say. They may need to just verbally express something that has been bothering them. Help them recognize and reflect on what they are feeling.

5. Allow your children to be bored. Don’t feel like you need to scour Pinterest everyday looking for unique crafts and activities for your children to do. When they become bored, they become creative. Allow them to paint or bake something from scratch or play in the mud.

Join us next week as we continue answering questions sent in by listeners. If you are interested in sending your question in, you can email us at info@hoperescue.org or message us on Instagram or Facebook.