PORTLAND, Maine — Last year was a roller coaster for a lot of people, especially for kids who lost out on sports, or had to learn remotely. Now with more uncertainty around what the school year will look like, and where the pandemic is heading, kids can be feeling a lot of emotions that they may not understand.
Nadine Levitt is an education advocate and the CEO & Founder of WURRLYedu. She explains some of the feelings kids are reporting lately, and how adults can help ease some concerns - even without many answers.
It is crucial, in the wake of the pandemic, that we shift the dialog about emotions. More kids are feeling these big feelings like anxiety, stress, depression, feelings of isolation, and they are often not well equipped to process those emotions!
But emotions do not need to be scary – they are after all just messengers. They are trying to help us by delivering a message (using alarms and rewards), and once they have delivered their message they will have served their purpose so will quiet down.
Emotions are foundational. If our kids don’t understand their emotions and don’t learn to process them in a healthy way, not only will it likely result in mental health issues down the road, but it will pose problems in every facet of your child’s life, from relationships to health to academic performance!
Some helpful tips for all parents as they talk to their kids about emotions:
Differentiate between the emotion and the thoughts and actions – try to avoid language like “good” or “bad.”
When your child says they are feeling something (frustrated for example) ask them what else they are feeling – encourage them to look past the loudest emotion.
Model a healthy management system for your kids. Create rituals to set you up for success.
Head to mymamasays.com to find a toolkit for dealing with emotions.