By Katie Cassidy MA, RP(Q) and Shulamit Ber Levtov, MA, RSW, CCTP

Are you wondering how to keep everyone’s sanity intact while everyone is all at the house together during COVID-19 restrictions?

Routine is the key!

While the first few days of March break were nice to have some free time as a family, knowing now that we may be at home for longer means getting back to some sort of schedule/routine.

Having a routine, while it doesn’t necessarily mean you and your family will accomplish more, has been proven to reduce anxiety in children of all ages, while creating a sense of security and stability.

Brains and nervous systems that know what to expect can relax.

This is as true for parents as it is for kids, by the way. (You know what I’m saying!)

Structure has to do with predictability, not detailed scheduling. It means blocks of time are set in which kids can expect certain things to happen.

You establish a meal block, but what you eat will vary.

There will be blocks of time for play, but what happens during that time will vary.

Having a variety of activities in each general block will means less boredom and frustration (for everyone).

Here are a few examples of things for which predictable blocks can be established:
-Meals and snacks.
-Outdoor play.
-Quiet time to do calm activities or connect in conversation about how everyone is doing and feeling.
-Indoor playtime
-homework time

Curate media exposure

It is also recommended to limit screen time in general, but even more so now.

COVID-19 information is blanketing all social media. Repeated exposure to upsetting information will evoke anxiety in kids (and adults aren’t exempt from this phenomenon either).

Equally, having the news constantly playing when the kids is around can cause anxiety and panic as well.

Go easy on yourself

As the parent, it’s important to go easy on yourself. Rigid and detailed scheduling will create tension for you and your kids.

Reduce expectations

Expectations around accomplishment and productivity should be drastically reduced.

A feature of stress–and certainly kids are stressed right now–is that the brain can’t take in new information, it has difficulty sorting and prioritizing information, and it has trouble concentrating. For these reasons, kids (and adults) won’t be functioning at full capacity.

Recognizing and validating this (for yourself and your kids) will go a long way.

Seek Support

More than anything, your children will benefit when you are at your best–or your best given the current circumstances. Getting support for yourself is an important part of coping well. It can be a trusted friend or family member, your clergy person or a professional.

At Kemptville Stress Relief Centre, we are all available to support you with virtual sessions. You can find out about virtual sessions here. To learn more or to book an appointment, call 613-868-9642 or email us at info@compassionatesupport.ca