First and foremost, process your own fears. Don’t dismiss your child’s fears.

Babies, Toddlers and Young Preschool Age

• Maintain normal routines as much as possible
• Shield babies and toddlers from media coverage as much as possible
• If your preschooler inquires about absence from pre-school or activities, discuss the reasoning
• Let them ask questions and keep answers short and simple

School Age

• Limit media coverage.
• Maintain a normal home routine, especially bedtime
• Educate why there are School and after school activity closures.
• Educate why we are taking the extra precautions. It doesn’t mean that all of their loved ones and friends are or will get sick
• Educate on all the things adults are doing to help and prevent the spread of the virus
• Educate on hand washing
• Let them ask the questions. Keep answers short and simple
• Allow them plenty of outside play. Play is the most therapeutic relief for a child

Middle & High School Age

• Make yourself available to talk to you children and answer any questions. This will help you determine how much they know, what they see on TV, read online or hear from friends. Stick to facts in your conversation.
• Point them towards reliable sources. Discuss the difference between the media and reliable resources such as the CDC website.
• Enforce a tech curfew at night and to take media breaks.
• Make them get outside for sports, bike rides, walks, etc
• Make yourself available to listen and acknowledge feelings of fear, panic and anxiety
• Educate on why we are “Social Distancing”
• Educate on their “what if”….. Stick to the facts and don’t burden them with dystopian scenarios
• Educate against xenophobia and discrimination against certain people and populations.
• Educate on hand washing and ways to reduce the spread

When in doubt, contact your Pediatrician if you feel your child is not coping well or their behaviors have greatly changed.

How are your babies doing? How have you helped them cope with being home?

For every feeling or thought we experience, a hormone/chemical is released.

Thoughts affect neurotransmitters known as chemical messengers. These messengers tell the brain to communicate to different parts of the nervous system controlling almost all of the body’s functions including hormone function in the adrenal medulla.

Think of it as this way, consider an emotion you have recently experienced. When you are sad, worried, angry or frustrated, how does your body react? Your muscles tense, you get over heated… possibly sweat, your heart pounds and you even experience gastrointestinal discomfort to the point of sickness. These are known as fight or flight symptoms. These symptoms mentioned above is considered acute, short term experience. Chronic fight or flight symptoms can lead to co-morbidities.

It is like a domino effect… when one thing is off, the rest will be affected.

Many who experience this are often sent from doctor to doctor, as it is sometimes difficult for medical providers to diagnose and treat.

Path To Improved Health

There are ways to take control of your life and head down the path to improved health.

Balance Lifestyle-

Life can get hectic! Learning to created a balance around work, school, and home life is important to mental health. A positive outlook can help you achieve a balanced lifestyle. Dont take on that extra project. Learn to put yourself first at times. Also, find ways to let some things go in life that is out of our control. Dont sweat the small stuff.

Resilience- By managing our outlook and stress levels, we can control excessive neurochemical transmission. Resilient people recover quicker because they are able to manage their attitude and stress effectively. Resiliency is a learned behavior. Here are a few key things to keep in mind… Keeping a positive outlook, accepting change, having a good social support system, and the capability to keep things in perspective.

Therapy

Therapy can help you achieve the above mentioned goals.

• Behavioral therapy
• Meditation/Relaxation
• Prayer
• Art therapy (art, music, dance)
• Hypnosis/ Guided imagery
• Exercise
• Yoga requires proper skeletal alignment, coordination and flexibility. The part of the brain responsible for achieving these core movements and posture directly inputs information to the adrenal medulla by regulating the stress response. Here is a few common yoga poses to help with immune function: Thymus gland support- Kurmasana (tortoise pose); Sinus and lungs- Downward facing dog; Chest and lung openers- Camel pose

Signs of Poor Emotional Health

You may not feel like exercising, eating nutritious foods, or taking medicine that your doctor prescribes. You may abuse alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs. Other signs of poor emotional health include:

• Back pain, stiff neck
• Change in appetite, upset stomach, constipation or diarrhea, weight gain/loss
• Chest pain, Shortness of breath
• Palpitations (the feeling that your heart is racing)
• High blood pressure
• Extreme tiredness, insomnia (trouble sleeping)
• Headaches
• General aches and pains
• Sexual issues such as low libido

When to Seek Help

• Thoughts of suicide or hurting others
• Negative feelings that wont go away and keep you from enjoying life

I bet you are wondering….. Why is she posting this in a Pediatric blog?

A healthy mind starts at any age. In fact, being proactive on ways to properly handle stress in the pediatric years will benefit your mind and body in the adult years. The best way to educate our children to have a healthy mind is to lead by example and help them learn to manage stress at their development level.

Stress can have a negative impact on our immune system, making people more vulnerable to a disease. This is why managing stress by practicing the various techniques mentioned can lead to a healthier mind and body resulting in a better quality of life.

How do you manage stress and find peace in times of increased stress? How do you educate your children? Comment below.