At this difficult time of uncertainty, anxiety is running high in kids and parents alike. Parents are managing extra stress in their careers by working from home or even worrying about the possibility of being laid off. Couple this with children suddenly moving to online school, and the deluge of news media, it is no wonder everyone’s anxiety is spiking.
I am not usually prone to anxiety, but in this time of uncertainty, I find myself more anxious than usual. And if I am anxious, that means my child with anxiety is also feeling that way — at a higher level than normal. How do we as parents model appropriate behavior to help our kids cope with the daily stresses of today’s world when we ourselves are anxious?
The Child Mind Institute clinicians have an amazing array of articles, videos and tools to help during this time of high stress. One article in particular caught my attention because it focuses on tools for not only children, but parents as well on how to navigate the current world we live in. We are definitely living day-to-day, and if we can create an environment for our children that is less stressful and anxious today than it was yesterday, then we are going to get through this together.