Is your child struggling during COVID? How parents can help kids cope with pandemic’s strain
During the COVID-19 pandemic, South Carolina students have obviously faced a threat to their physical health. But just as serious to mental health professionals is the toll that fear, isolation, disruption and uncertainty have had on their psychological well-being.
On Wednesday, parents in Lexington-Richland 5 had the opportunity to ask questions about how to help kids cope to Suzanne Snyder, the mental health program director at the S.C. Department of Education.
Midlands districts have been hit hard by COVID-19 since classes resumed in August, which was around the time of a statewide spike in coronavirus cases. Lexington-Richland 5 emerged relatively unscathed, but other districts in the Midlands were forced to move some schools to online-only lessons because of high levels of spread among students and staff.
Parents have also fretted about lengthy quarantine periods after their child was exposed to a COVID case in school, disrupting their education for up to two weeks.
Interim Superintendent Akil Ross noted that a high school senior hasn’t had a normal school year since they were a freshman, and a third grader hasn’t experienced a normal school year since kindergarten.
“A teacher told me, ‘I met a kindergartener who has never had a birthday party,’” Ross said. “The social events we take for granted, they have never participated in.”
Mental health professionals have highlighted the psychological strain students face from the threat of serious illness and the disruption to their normal routines.
Snyder encouraged parents to look for signs their child might be struggling through the pandemic. The virus might have disrupted everything, but some reactions are more concerning than others.
“Is your child clingy or overly clingy? Are they competing for their parents’ attention?” Snyder said. “They might be feeling anxious, fearful, crying for no reason, asking to come home.”
If your child becomes withdrawn or no longer enjoys the things they used to, they may be struggling with depression, anxiety and other negative feelings related to the pandemic. Warning signs might include mood swings, being quicker to anger to frequent nightmares or bed-wetting.
Children can also get frustrated by shifting guidance and rules for responding to the pandemic, and the fact their family and friends’ reactions might be different. Acting out is how children might be dealing with stressful situations, she said. “A big thing with adolescents, refuse to wear a mask may not want to isolate or social distance,” Snyder said.
Some may even have thoughts of suicide or self-harm.
“In South Carolina in 2020, the age of children calling helplines dropped,” she said. “In 2019, the youngest caller was 11. Last year it was 7.”
Children might talk about hurting themselves or search for ways to do it, like seeking out firearms or pills. Snyder said parents shouldn’t be afraid to talk to their children if they are worried about them.
“Listen to them, express your concerns, reassure them that you are there for them, and let them vent about how they feel,” Snyder said. “We know that asking about suicide does not increase the risk. It could actually stop them.”
Snyder said parents can sooth their children’s fears and lead them through difficult emotions simply by talking to them regularly, asking them how they’re feeling and working through any challenges they’re facing. Adults can give younger children more context for their feelings, and teach them how to talk about and manage them. Families should seek out reliable sources of information about the pandemic to help guide their response.
This story was originally published September 30, 2021 at 11:30 AM.
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