Coronavirus: Supporting children and young peoples' wellbeing

Children are just the same as us – their mental health benefits from regular routines, sleep, mealtimes, and a balance between exercise and activity and relaxation.

Keep as many regular routines as possible, so that your child feels safe and that things are stable. Promote a structured day with a balance between activities and relaxation, work and play.  Whist it’s not possible to replicate the school day, it is important to remember that the reason that less structure at weekends feels so good, is because it is a change from the usual routine of weekdays. Therefore, it can be helpful to keep the same kind of shape and structure to the week as you would usually.

Limit exposure to news and screen time in the hour or so before bed and use low-stimulus activities (baths, stories, relaxation activities) to help children prepare for sleep time. Reducing screen time can be especially hard at the moment, as many free and useful resources are online. If your child is watching a film or engaging with some online learning activities/games, try and introduce some non-screen related activities that link to it. For example, they could write their own story or draw a picture inspired by what they have been watching or explain to you what they have learnt.

Children and young people need to ideally be active for 60 minutes a day, which can be more difficult when spending longer periods of time indoors. Plan time outside if you can do so safely or visit Change4life for some ideas for indoor games and activities. Also see Joe Wicks’ PE sessions online and CBeebies have a range of programmes that involve participatory dance and movement.

It is not possible to replicate school at home, and nor should we try. But there are things we can learn from school to help at home. Like adults, children’s mental wellbeing is closely related to a sense of achievement and producing or creating something. Teachers organise frequent opportunities for this. It could be getting a sum right, overcoming a difficult problem, learning a new concept; or activities such as writing and drawing, learning songs or playing instruments that have an end product. It can also be through making contributions to the classroom community – doing jobs or being in charge of particular responsibilities.

Think about parts of family life that your children can get involved in or take responsibility for. Can they help with some elements of preparing meals, getting the table ready, feeding the animals or watering plants? Perhaps you can learn how to bake something together?

Older children can use free apps to help learn a new language (Duolingo) or try YouTube videos to learn to play instruments or develop other new skills. The Open University has made some elements of its resources freely available. If it is safe to do so, think about whether fit and well older adolescents could help with jobs for more vulnerable people in your family, e.g. dropping off essential supplies. Helping in this way can being important feelings of self-worth and fight against feelings of powerlessness.

In the classroom, teachers also mix up the senses that a child has to rely on in order to achieve an activity to help children to concentrate and focus for long periods. Try moving between:

• Listening (story/circle time)
• Fine motor skills (writing, drawing, computer tasks)
• Gross motor skills (movement, exercise)
• Eye tracking (reading)
• Cognitive: problem-solving (maths, puzzles)
• Cognitive: memory (spelling)
• Cognitive: imaginary (creating a story)

Place2Be, a children’s wellbeing charity, have put together a range of resources here for indoor activities for children of different ages.

Listening and acknowledging difficult or overwhelming feelings is by far the most important first step to helping children who are struggling. That said, it is not always to do this when feelings are being expressed through anger or challenging behaviour – so be kind to yourself about the moments when this doesn’t quite go to plan, there will always be another chance.

Reassure them that the feelings and the situation will pass in time, that you’re there for them, and you will get through this together.

The open-ended nature of the coronavirus situation can make it hard for younger and older children (and adults!) alike. Helping children of all ages keep in mind that this will not last forever is important. Practical strategies that help visualise the idea of a future without all of the current restrictions can help young children. E.g. getting children to put into a jar a Post-it with something they want to do when this is over. 

The government has produced a helpful guide on supporting children and young people, which includes a helpful summary of how children at different ages might react to the stress of the situation. It also provides some guidance for supporting your children if they have pre-existing mental health or learning needs.

Children, young people and adults tend to become less stressed and distressed if they have a safe way to vent their feelings. Try and plan in advance ways that people in your house can do this safely, that work with your particular situation and space (shouting in garden, hitting pillows, jumping up and down, having a good cry…). If you co-parent it can also be helpful to agree in advance between you, some basic principles for how you are going to respond to emotional outbursts.

Young Minds also have a guide for parents who are concerned about their children’s mental health and a crisis messenger that young people can use, which is available 24//7.