TORONTO -- For many families used to being partially occupied with homeschooling these last two months, the coming summer may prove extra challenging without that structure.
The extended social isolation can be particularly difficult for children, especially the younger ones who do not yet have the skills or the vocabulary to express how they feel, for example, or for families with special needs children who require constant care, but no longer have access to outside help during the pandemic.
鈥淎 really important consideration in all of this is the mental health of children. Right now, of course, they鈥檙e experiencing the huge impact of social isolation and the pressures that many families are under,鈥 Sara Austin, the founder of , told CTVNews.ca.
And in areas where summer programs are available, there is also the added stress of wondering whether the health measures taken by program co-ordinators will be enough to keep children safe from getting sick. Trying to prepare them for a 鈥渘ew normal鈥 could mean explaining why they might not be able to hug a friend at camp and why activities might have to be conducted at a distance without physical interaction.
It is important to give children more emotional support, help them talk about the stress of their experience, and be extra patient with them -- and with yourselves, said Austin. She said parents should reduce their expectations, expect more pushback, more temper tantrums.
鈥淜ids often have a really hard time processing those big emotions -- even adults have a hard time,鈥 she said, noting that parents, as role models, can learn to co-regulate with their children on how to manage those emotions.
Some things parents can do include having a schedule and sticking to it - this includes spending time together like breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and incorporating a short 鈥渞ecess鈥 into everyone鈥檚 afternoon, for example.
Even little bursts of time can be helpful: take just 15 minutes to play outdoors or in the basement, Austin suggested.
鈥淚t鈥檚 good for kids and adults to have that little mental break and connect.鈥
There are also programs and resources available for parents looking at ways to keep their kids occupied this summer.
鈥溾 is one example, recently launched by a . It is a free service for parents and caregivers geared towards pre-school and school-aged children that puts together a daily schedule of activities and incorporates the child鈥檚 interests to help structure their day.
Co-founded by Erin Elfassy, parents who sign up receive an email for the week ahead on what they will need, while a schedule that imitates a full day at camp is sent out at the start of each day to guide families.
While some parent participation might be needed, especially for younger children, the goal is to allow kids to be fairly independent, said Elfassy, adding that about 500 parents from Ontario and elsewhere in Canada have signed up so far.
鈥淚t came from being a parent myself -- the panic -- that my kids have been in school, and day-to-day, they have activities, they have projects, and all of a sudden, we鈥檙e going to have summer, where there鈥檚 not going to be that schedule, that routine provided to us,鈥 said Elfassy.
鈥淲e can鈥檛 be outside with the kids all day, we can鈥檛 be watching them all day. They need to have some independent things that they can do.鈥
Incorporating certain tools like the 鈥渮ones of regulation鈥 can also be a helpful way to check in with children throughout their day to see how they are doing, Austin said.
The system is taught in many schools and is a cognitive behavioural approach to teaching children how to self-regulate their emotions. The 鈥渮ones鈥 consist of four colours, blue, green, yellow, and red. The blue zone describes sadness, boredom, or tiredness, for example, or when the mind and body are feeling sluggish. The green zone would indicate feelings such as happiness, calm, or focus. It is the ideal zone for homework and socializing. The yellow zone can indicate stress, frustration, anxiety, confusion, and some loss of control. The red zone indicates intense emotions like anger, panic, aggression, and no control.
Parents can discuss with their children the things they can do when they are in a particular zone -- like taking a deep breath and a break if they are in the yellow zone; going for a walk or talking to an adult when they are in the blue zone.
Ask which colour they feel and integrate that into meal time conversation, Austin suggested. It also helps children -- and parents -- discuss techniques they can try when they see themselves bordering on the yellow zone into the red zone, for example.
Reaching out to mental health professionals is also important for parents who are having a difficult time too, Austin added.
A report from the Washington Post said pediatricians across the United States were as the stress of unemployment and financial insecurity increased tensions between children and their caregivers, putting them in and ER doctors reporting more .
鈥淩ight now, there are not many trusted adults outside of the home who have access to children and who could be aware of those risks,鈥 said Austin.
, , , the , and the are some of the trusted resources that Austin recommended, but she recognized that access to mental health can be difficult and varies across the country.
鈥淲e as parents need to know that we don鈥檛 have to solve all these problems alone,鈥 said Austin.
鈥淧arents need a break to be able to keep their tank full and look after kids. If you think your kids are in need of support, reach out.鈥
