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My goal is to provide you with tools that help inform, empower and boost your confidence as a parent so you can make the best decisions possible for you and your family.  Parenting is challenging, but you don’t have to do it alone. I am here to guide you through the 3D Parent approach to parenting, so you can stop struggling and start celebrating all of the time you have with your children.

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Children's Mental Health During Covid-19

May 18, 2021

“I’m feeling so much of my own frustration and frustration in the face of my children's frustration that I am not parenting within my own intention. I am not treating my children with a level of warmth and love and respect that is in line with my intention. And I need to check myself on that. I need to reach out for my own source of support and help.” 

 

This week on the 3D Parent Podcast, we will be talking about our children’s mental health in time of a global pandemic and how you can maintain, and hopefully improve, their emotional well-being.

 

I am going to share some of the highlights that I have learned on the webinar I attended hosted by the Neufeld’s Institute. Additionally, I am going to share tips and insights on how to further support your child’s mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Some of the topics I discuss include:

  • What to look out for in terms of your child’s emotional health and other reassuring facts to help us ease anxieties told by Dr. Neufeld himself.
  • My personal struggles and vulnerabilities dealing with my children’s emotional breakdowns due to quarantine and remote learning.
  • Five tips on how to support your children’s mental health during this difficult time.

 

Eventually, this pandemic will come at ease and we will all move on from the traumatic experience that we are currently suffering. The main goal, however, for parents and caretakers out there is to help our children ease their pain and suffering. And the best way to do that is to heighten our support for our children’s mental health.

 


 

Things You Will Learn

[00:11] For today, I’m going to talk about our children’s mental health during this pandemic, specifically during quarantine and remote learning. I am going to share some of the highlights from the recent webinar hosted by the Neufeld Institute.

[00:49] First off, Dr. Nuefeld reminded the listeners that big displays of emotions are a good sign. It’s the absence of feelings that we should worry about. As parents, we have to stop associating emotional health with happiness alone. Emotional health is being able to feel all types of emotions, including rage, frustrations, and sadness. The most important thing to remember is that your child’s ability to feel is one of the biggest indicators of emotional health and well-being.

[03:44] Some of the good news that was shared during this webinar was that the incidence and diagnosis of adolescence and teen anxiety has gone down. This tells us a lot about the source of anxiety in adolescence and teenagers. Additionally, this tells us it was most likely fed by peer interactions and social pressures within school environments. With the quarantine and remote learning, teens are having the opportunity to focus more on themselves and self-discovery instead of giving in to the societal pressures heightened by their peers.

[22:51] I am now going to give you a bit of insight and tips on how to improve, and/or maintain emotional health with your children. My first tip for you as parents, is to address your mental health first before anything else. We have to remember that parental stress and anxiety translates to our children’s mental health. By the same token, parents cannot take all the stress of remote learning and pandemic on themselves. You need to call upon your village of support, not just for your sake, but your child’s too.

[24:49] My second tip is to keep working on your parent-child connection. A strong attachment between a parent and a child is a proven factor to reduce childhood trauma, stress, and alarm. Utilize this time to engage with your child and spend quality time with them.

[25:52] The third tip I have to offer is to share optimistic outlooks with your children and model positive self-care practices. This could be as simple as going for a walk, talking with friends, journaling, and similar activities. Simple optimistic and self-care acts like these are contagious and will encourage your child to follow your lead.

[27:45] Tip number four, help your kids find a healthy release for their emotions. Again, we do not need fancy stuff and strategies to apply this tip. I had my eight-year-old Macey draw her feelings with a piece of paper and some art supplies. And she did an incredible job capturing and expressing her feelings.

[32:35] Say no to an overabundance of focus on academic pressure for your child and say yes to prioritizing mental and emotional health. That’s tip number five. There is so much emphasis and prioritization of academic excellence often at the expense of mental health. This is a crucial moment not to perpetuate that culture. Kids will eventually learn, but they will not learn at the state of alarm. So let’s start prioritizing what is the most important factor towards your child’s learning ability, which is their emotional and mental health.

[36:07] For my parting message, I want you to know that you’re not struggling alone. I am sharing my struggles and vulnerabilities because I want you guys to realize that we’re all in the learning stage of remote learning during the pandemic. 

 

  


  

Quotes From Episode 50

“Stop associating emotional health with happiness. Because the reality is that emotional health is actually the ability to feel all emotions.”

“Socialization with peers at school is the breeding ground for a lot of emotional upheaval and mental health problems.”

“Parental anxiety will take a toll on children's mental health.”

“You need to call upon the supports that are available to you and you need to address your own mental health first for your children's sake, if not for your own.”

“A close attachment between a parent-child is proven to reduce trauma symptoms, stress, and alarm in children.”

“Let's prioritize what is the most important thing, and possibly what might be getting in the way on your child's ability to learn, which is their mental and emotional health.”

“We're all learning and figuring this out as we go along. You're not alone in this struggle.”

“There is a village of support for parents out there.”

 


 

Let's work together! I provide 1:1 support for parents motivated to make positive changing in their parenting and gain confidence and increase fulfillment in their role as parents. If this sounds like it might be what you've been looking for, book a free consultation today.

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About Your Host

I’m Beaven Walters, your host and guide on this crazy and fulfilling journey as a parent.

As a certified parent coach, parent educator and mom of 4 children, I am passionate about helping parents navigate the tough stuff while maintaining dignity, direction and deep connection in your family relationships.  I have spent over 10 years teaching in a variety of educational settings with multiple age groups, and now I am delighted to bring those experiences to you at home. Throughout this podcast, we will cover topics such as tantrums, sibling conflict, screen time overload and transitioning into the teenage years.

My goal is to provide you with tools that help inform, empower and boost your confidence as a parent so you can make the best decisions possible for you and your family.  Parenting is challenging, but you don’t have to do it alone.

I am here to guide you through the 3D Parent approach to parenting, so you can stop struggling and start celebrating all of the time you have with your children.