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FRIDAY, Aug. 14, 2020 (HealthDay News)<\/p>\n
This school year comes with special challenges for kids as the United States grapples with a coronavirus pandemic, but experts say parents can help their children navigate the tough emotional terrain.<\/p>\n
Whether returning to a school building, continuing online learning or adjusting to a hybrid school environment, it is normal for children and adolescents to have some stress<\/a> or anxiety<\/a> about going back to school, said Samanta Boddapati, a child clinical psychologist and prevention<\/a> coordinator at Big Lots Behavioral Health Services at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.<\/p>\n Fears of getting sick or following school safety protocols for COVID-19<\/a> may make the transition even more difficult.<\/p>\n In a survey of parents by Nationwide Children’s, 2 out of 5 said they had concerns about their kid’s social and emotional well-being.<\/p>\n Very young children can suffer from separation anxiety<\/a> about being away from family and in new environments. For these children, experts recommend making a special goodbye part of your routine and reminding your child when you will see each other again. Some kids like a transitional object — an item that reminds them of mom or dad while at school.<\/p>\n Older children being in a classroom might be uncomfortable.<\/p>\n “Maintaining a routine is important, especially for families who are continuing to do online learning full-time. Create a part of your child’s day that is structured and a part of their day that has some flexibility,” said Parker Huston, a Nationwide Children’s pediatric psychologist.<\/p>\n The hospital’s experts offer these tips for parents and caregivers:<\/p>\n “A certain amount of stress<\/a> is normal, but parents, caregivers and educators should look out for drastic changes in functioning or behavior,” Huston said in a hospital news release. “Sleep<\/a> changes, mood changes<\/a>, inability to engage with social environments or friends, increased anxiety<\/a> about things that they maybe weren’t nervous about in the past are changes you want to talk to your child’s pediatrician about.”<\/p>\n — Steven Reinberg<\/p>\n \n
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