The parents of five-year-old Zara and two-year-old Marley have turned to yoga to counter the signs of distress the girls developed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Their mother, Vanessa Moniz, says yoga has helped the girls deal with anxiety amid the ongoing uncertainty of the pandemic.
"They are more anxious when we go out and do things, and when we are getting close to people makes them a bit anxious," Moniz told CTV National News.
Since taking up yoga, either doing virtual classes or in-person when permitted, Moniz's daughters have told her that it makes them feel stronger and happier.
Moniz said the practice has taught the girls how to normalize emotions when they feel out of sorts.
"There's lots of changes and they need tools navigate," Moniz said. "They are not resilient just because they're resilient; they're resilient because we teach them tools."
Michelle Faber, who runs Little Yogis in Toronto, told Â鶹ӰÊÓ that she is hearing similar stories from parents about newly developed anxiety in children, specifically anger outbursts.
Faber said stress around the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic has created "a lot of big emotions" that kids don't necessarily know how to deal with, especially amid the return to school.
With some eight million children across Canada heading back to school -- some who haven't been in the classroom for up to five months or longer -- experts are suggesting parents prepare their kids with coping strategies to deal with ongoing pandemic-related stressors that may interrupt their school year.
"I have two sons myself and I have seen a big change in them over the past year and a half, but I think as long as we arm them with these tools, they'll be able to thrive," Faber explained.
Faber said she teaches kids a breathing technique comprised of three, belly breaths that helps them to calm down in a stressful situation.
"It's so great to be able to do something right now that's really helping the children got through this really tough year," Faber said.
As children head back to school, families are once again facing a September of uncertainty.
in school-aged children as routines and classrooms have been disrupted by the pandemic.
In response, health experts say they have been mobilizing in various ways to prepare teachers, parents and children for another school year of unknowns.
Those at McMaster Children's hospital in Hamilton, Ont. help parents address any pandemic-related anxiety their children may have.
McMaster Children’s Hospital CEO Bruce Squires says the videos provide children with tools to help the navigate re-socializing with friends and school etiquette, as well as how to cope with challenges that might not have faced in a while, such as bullying.
children share their own tips on how to address these issues.
As well, most with identifying stress in kids.
Kathy Short, the executive director of School Mental Health Ontario, told Â鶹ӰÊÓ that it is important for teachers and parents to also watch for less obvious symptoms of a disrupted lifestyle in children, such as problems with gaming and social media.
When it comes to helping kids manage stress, Short said it is important for parents to first manage their own anxieties.
"Hard to do, but try to take time to nourish your own spirit in the ways that are meaningful for you," Short said. "Studies show that when parents feel more steady, their children feel more steady."
She said parents also need to "really listen" to their child's fears.
"Provide factual information to replace worry thoughts that may not be true. Reassure them and inspire confidence," Short said.
She added that the progress child make in regards to their stress should be taken "one day at a time." Short suggests parents remind kids that they are there for them and to ask for help when they need it.
"Try not to spend time in worry spirals, it doesn’t actually help. Choose to focus on the present and how to make each moment the best it can be," Short said.
While these tips can help, Short said parents need to anticipate some bumps in the process.
"Transitions are always challenging, but look for the glimmers of good and celebrate the successes, even when the path is bumpy," she said.
Dr. Tyler Black, a child and adolescent psychiatrist and an assistant clinical professor at the University of British Columbia, told Â鶹ӰÊÓ Channel in August that parents and schools need to remember that "kids are kids."
Black said heading back to school can be stressful for children even when there isn't a global pandemic, and suggests parents and educators take a "gentle" approach to easing kids back to class.
"Coming back to school after all the times of social isolation and having to take time off, it would be really nice if the focus was a little bit less on the arithmetic and the ABC's and a little bit more on the social connection," Black said.
"This is going to be a stressful time. They're going to want to go do their favorite activities. They're going to want to do things to relax and let's try not to put too much pressure on them," he added.
A $2.14-billion federal loan for an Ottawa-based satellite operator has Canadian politicians arguing about whether American billionaire Elon Musk poses a national security risk.
Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.
Twenty-seven year Â鶹ӰÊÓ reporter and anchor John Vennavally-Rao shares his story of what it was like to have an ostomy bag as part of his health-care battle. 'I’m grateful for what it did to extend my life,' he writes in a personal column for CTVNews.ca.
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U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday accepted an invitation from CNN to debate former President Donald Trump on October 23, challenging her rival to another engagement on a public stage in the final weeks of the campaign.
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A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.
A man is facing numerous drug trafficking charges after Dufferin OPP seized a large assortment of drugs and weapons in Orangeville earlier this week.
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A northern Ontario man is facing a $12,000 fine after illegally shooting a moose near the Batchawan River.
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Donald Trump returned to North Carolina on Saturday, stumping in the southern battleground state with direct appeals to women, claiming he would be a better champion for them than U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, who is vying to become the first female president.
Sheba, a 50-year-old seal at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary in southwest England, has far surpassed the average lifespan for seals and could be the oldest in captivity in the world.
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The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah announced that it fired a barrage of missiles at a military base deep inside Israel early Sunday following an Israeli airstrike more than a day earlier that killed at least 37 people, including one of the militant group’s senior leaders as well as women and children.
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Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly says close to 45,000 Canadians are in Lebanon, months after warning there is no guarantee Ottawa can evacuate them if the situation deteriorates further.
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A new study is adding to emerging research showing that exposure to metals such as cadmium, uranium and copper may also be associated with the leading cause of death worldwide, cardiovascular disease.
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The owner of the shuttered Three Mile Island nuclear power plant said Friday that it plans to restart the reactor under a 20-year agreement that calls for tech giant Microsoft to buy the power to supply its data centers with carbon-free energy.
Lebanese authorities on Thursday banned walkie-talkies and pagers from being taken on flights from Beirut airport, the National News Agency reported, after thousands of such devices exploded during a deadly attack on Hezbollah this week.
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'Saturday Night Live' will have a slew of famous faces to help kick off its historic 50th season when the show returns later this month.
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The Amherstburg Freedom Museum is celebrating a year of festivities in anticipation of its 50th anniversary in 2025.
The St. Clair College golf teams were successful at the Niagara Knights Invitational tournament on Friday.
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The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.
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Despite the heavy rain, plenty of muscle turned up for United Way’s annual Pull the Bus fundraiser in Lethbridge Friday.
Lethbridge County has rescinded its fire restriction as a result of the recent cool, wet weathr.
The Lethbridge Hurricanes kicked off the 2024-25 season on a winning note Friday night, defeating the Edmonton Oil Kings 3-1 in a game played at VisitLethbridge.com Arena.
A northern Ontario man is facing a $12,000 fine after illegally shooting a moose near the Batchawan River.
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A 26-year-old driver from Surrey, B.C., has been charged with three counts of criminal negligence causing death and bodily harm in a crash that killed two youths in northern Ontario last year.
Newfoundland and Labrador's chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.
A 16-year-old biennial event aimed at fostering business in the country's eastern Arctic and northern regions has been cancelled indefinitely as a dispute unfolds between Inuit in Canada and a Labrador group claiming to share their heritage.
Jim Lester’s farm hopped on the cow-cuddling trend in early August, and his time slots have been pretty well sold out ever since.
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