If we as parents have been affected, either our work, or how we are interacting with others including our children, then it is a natural consequence that our children will also be affected. If we have changed how we play with them. If the news is on now more than it was before COVID-19 because we are wanting to keep up to date, that is going to affect us and in turn our children. If we are playing and interacting less with our children because COVID-19 is distracting us, our children are suffering. If we continue on this path it is not unreasonable to conclude that there could be long-term negative effects for our growing children.

What can you do?

Some obvious things would be to turn the news off and intentionally play more with our children. But something we parents need to do for ourselves is to be very intentional to practice self-care, whatever that looks like for each of us. It could be taking a bath, having a nap, meditation, going for a walk or run, reading a really good book, watching something that makes us laugh. Whatever we choose to do will have a positive impact on our own state of mind and in turn will have an even bigger positive impact on our children. We will be in a better headspace to play, talk, watch our child’s favourite tv show with them, play soccer in the backyard. But above all remember that for our children the most favourite thing they ask of us is our time, so we need to not be in a hurry to finish spending time with them.

We can always catch up on the latest COVID-19 news once our beautiful treasures are tucked up in bed.