By Dr. Suresh Kumar Panuganti
It is all-natural for any kid to really feel stressed, anxious, apprehensive and get worried about unnatural situations like pandemic related to an adult.
Some of the challenges children face and continue to face through this pandemic are:
- Change in their routine meeting their peers and close friends
- Break in continuity of college and the finding out procedure
- Lack of routine wellness checks
- Increased screen time and decreased interaction with other individuals
- Missing significant events like birthdays, festivals and any family gatherings
- Loss of a parent or a family member or a relative due to Covid
- Parental loss of job or safety
- Instability at home
Why?
In this digital era, children have access to details by way of numerous platforms such as social media, news and so forth which can lead to tension. This tension can be enhanced when they are not permitted to go out, meet their close friends, attend college and more so though the parents are themselves stressed and show it.
Psycho-social effects on children
Children beneath 3:
- Reduced interactiveness and delayed development of speech
- Depression – favor to remain alone
- Anger and Hyperactivity
- Separation anxiousness though the parents are in isolation/quarantine
- Clinging and excessive dependence
- Fear or excessive sadness
School going children
- Anger and hyperactivity due to missing their routine and lack of physical interaction with peers
- Violence either due to excessive screen time or watching violence and/or abuse of any nature at home
- Unexplained abnormal behaviour due to boredom or excessive time on mobile phones
- Anxiety due to lack of certainty
- Stigma of the illness
- Sleep disturbances
- Nightmares, becoming withdrawn
Adolescents:
- Anger
- Conflicts
- Anxiety to lack of certainty about exams and their future
- Nightmares
- Insomnia
- Panic attacks
Helping children cope with tension
Staying calm, and really listening to their issues, giving comfort and reassurance.
Role of parents?
- The primary function and duty of parents is to provide and nurture a protected, safe and wholesome atmosphere exactly where they can be themselves and create to their complete possible
- To invest as a great deal time as attainable with the kids to cut down the anxiousness
- To remain calm and composed and steer clear of verbal, physical abuse or violence at home even with other family members
- To disclose the correct details at the correct time in an age proper terminology
- Involve the kids in day-to-day chores based on their age
- Have a inventive time for arts and crafts and to cut down the screen time
- Be a function model for your personal kids
- Practice family pot lunches or dinners
- Keep gadgets away from the dining table
- Monitor what your kid watches on Television/screen
- Remember all feelings are valid do not brush them off or negate it altogether
- Fix a sleeptime. Maintain sleep hygiene
Role of teachers?
- Providing appropriate, proper expertise
- Quell the myths and dis-beliefs
- Identify any abnormal behaviour while in the class like lack of attentiveness or hyper activity
- Give little, plausible breaks in the screen time though in the class
- Encourage non academic activities though in the class
- Regular interaction with parents
Role of Pediatricians:
- Parental education about developmental patterns and developmental wants
- Recognize physical manifestations of mental ill-wellness
- Identify predisposing components
- Initiate early therapy
Remember. This as well shall pass. Let’s not ever give up.
(The author is Lead Consultant – Pediatric Critical Care and Pediatrics, Yashoda Hospitals, Hyderabad. The report is for informational purposes only. Please seek advice from wellness authorities and healthcare experts prior to beginning any therapy or medication. Views expressed are private and do not reflect the official position or policy of the TheSpuzz Online.)