How to help your child cope with the stress and uncertainty of current events

There is no doubt that we are experiencing unprecedented times, both globally and nationally. In addition to the constant, chronic stress about Covid we now also face the much more acute stress of violence and looting. Even though many people are not directly affected by this, it does add to the ever-increasing number of burdens that we have to shoulder at present. These factors together can easily overwhelm our coping strategies.

As individuals, this affects our mental health. As parents, children look up to you as the adult for clues and directions on how to deal with the stresses and uncertainties of this time. There is no easy answer on how to help children cope in a time when you yourself may be struggling to cope.

The links in the resource list that you can download below will hopefully provide a bit of assistance in the matter. There are some tips and tools that you may be able to consider when looking at how to speak to your children regarding their worries and uncertainties during this time.

Many thanks go out to the colleagues who have contributed to, or felt free to share, these bits of information provided in the resource list.

Click here to listen to an audio clip sharing some ideas about how to help your child build resilience.

Please remember to take care of your mental health during this time. You cannot pour from an empty pot.

Andreas Baron
Educational Psychologist

Click here to download the resource list.