How to tell if your child is suffering from coronavirus anxiety
concerns for your or other family members’ health and safety.
He continues: “In this case, there may be a reluctance to go to school, or to the shops, or to mix with friends or extended family.”
HOW CAN PARENTS SUPPORT A CHILD WITH ANXIETY?
DR McBRIEN says the best support for anxiety is appropriate agerelated communication.
“The topic should be raised in a way that your child will understand, with simple facts and reassurance.
“There are many very good educational resources and storybooks about Covid that address the subject in a helpful and age-specific way,” he adds.
Monitoring the news consumption in your household is also a supportive step.
“In some households, the news is often on with updates about infections, deaths and policy decisions,” adds Emma Selby, clinical lead for Wysa, an AI-enabled mental health app.
“Your children may not be able to register it knowingly, but they are absorbing all the stress which will manifest later in various ways, like irrational fear and anxiety.
“To ensure this doesn’t happen, you could engage in simple, repetitive exercises like playing catch with a ball, or jumping on a trampoline, to allow them to release the nervous energy.
“You may also find it helpful for your child’s emotional wellbeing – and your own – to set a limit on how long you will watch the news, so you can stay up to date without dwelling on anxieties outside your control.”
Emma says that another great way to reduce anxiety is to try mindfulness or simple breathing exercises, using an app like Wysa with your kids.
“No matter where you are, take five minutes with your children to try deep-breathing exercises, soothing chants, or just take a walk in the fresh air,” she says.
“Yoga is also the perfect mindfulness exercise for children of all ages.
“Twenty minutes of yoga per day works amazingly well to allow them to listen to their bodies and release tension.
“Find which method helps calm your family and do it often – even turning the TV off for 15 minutes can prove beneficial.”
Above all, Dr McBrien says you should talk to children about anxiety and how it is a normal feeling that is not dangerous, and that it’s helped by talking and sharing.
If your child’s anxiety is interfering with their wellbeing and day-to-day life, it’s also important to book an appointment to speak to their GP about your concerns.
“If possible, don’t force your child to do something they are very anxious about, but instead, work together to build their confidence in a gradual way, and recruit the support and understanding of others, such as teachers,” says Dr McBrien.
AHEATHER WIDDOWS, professor of global ethics at the University of Birmingham and author of the book Perfect Me: Beauty As An Ethical Ideal, says: “That our daughters now live in the virtual world as much as the real world is surprising and unsettling. If you don’t use TikTok and Instagram you might feel like your daughter has left you behind, is at risk, and you don’t know how to protect her.
“The first thing to do is realise this is normal – completely and utterly day-to-day stuff. Half of girls routinely edit their photos, use filters, and take down posts if they don’t get enough likes.
“This might not be the world we’d like, but it’s the world your daughter lives in. So take a deep breath, step back and recognise just how much pressure there is to look perfect and with the right positive attitude.
“You need to take the pressure she’s under seriously and not dismiss it out of hand. Whether we like it or not, looks do matter in our increasingly image-based culture. So don’t tell your daughter ‘its what’s on the inside that counts’. She knows this isn’t true, and it will push her further away.
“Talk to her about how she feels. She’s media-savvy. She knows even celebs don’t look like their photos, but knowing this doesn’t stop her feeling the pressure. Take her feelings seriously.
“Looks matter, but they aren’t all that matters. Looking the part isn’t being the part, and other skills and talents are needed to succeed in life. Encourage your daughter to do things she loves, to take pride in other achievements. To build a rounded and robust sense of self.
“To worry about looks is normal, to engage in some of this is normal, and done openly and with friends can be fun. But overworrying about looks is damaging and body image anxiety has devastating consequences.
“Most importantly, as a parent, don’t be hard on yourself. Reach out, join with others, and use campaigns such as #BeBodyKind and #everydaylookism.”