How COVID-19 Continues to Impact Our Children

Over the past few years COVID-19 has had global impact. While many aspects of daily living have returned to their “new normal”, COVID continues to leave plenty of challenges outside of the actual virus. Working with children, adolescents and young adults has given me unique insight into the ongoing struggles of these populations. Here are a few of the most common challenges I see presenting in the therapy room and some ways parents and caregivers can help.

Social Struggles

From quarantines, to stay at home orders to social distancing, most young people experienced increased separation from their peers during key social development stages. This can lead to feelings of isolation, loneliness and difficulties establishing new relationships.

How it shows up in the therapy room

Reports of…

• feeling lonely
• not having friends
• uncertainty of how to make friends

What parents and care givers can do to help

• Spend meaningful time with your child
• Consider opportunities to expose your child to other kids (sports, clubs, community events)
• Talk to your child about how to make new friends, consider role playing or using toys to act out an interaction
• Set up play dates
• Check with your child’s school for resources they use to support social and emotional learning

Academic or Learning Difficulties

The COVID-19 pandemic brought significant challenges to schools and educators leaving them to figure out how to continue providing education to students who were no longer in a physical classroom. Many schools utilized remote learning and hybrid methods with little preparation. Educators did their best AND many students struggled with the inconsistent methods of teaching during these years.

How it shows up in the therapy room

Reports of…

• feeling behind academically
• difficulty adjusting to new routines
• increased low mood
• difficulty concentrating

What parents and care givers can do to help

• Talk to your child’s school and teachers to get an idea of how your child is doing in the classroom
• Help kids to create routines around schoolwork
• Express interested and engage with the topics your kid is learning
• Listen, validate, and express empathy when children report difficult feelings

Mood Difficulties

The pandemic brough about unprecedented times across the globe. Children often look to their surrounding environment (parents, caregivers, peers, school, etc.) for reassurance when big feelings arise. With the uncertainty that COVID-19 brought, many of the typical reassurances were not available. Fear of the unknown was a common experience of both adults and children alike.

How it shows up in the therapy room

Reports of…

• feeling stress and overwhelm
• difficulty dealing in uncertainty or ambiguity
• anxiety or fears (ranging from social fears, health-related anxiety, fear of loss, and general unease)
• sadness, low mood, depressed feeling

What parents and care givers can do to help

• Listen to your child and validate their difficult feelings
• Share your own feelings (in age-appropriate ways)
• Practice naming emotions as a family
• Identify ways to cope with big emotions and practice them with your child
• Seek additional support (counseling, therapy) if needed

Missed social or life milestones

COVID-19 caused so many cancellations – weddings, graduations, prom, trick or treating, birthdays, first days of kindergarten, first days of college, etc. There is no doubt your child missed out of some sort of milestone due to the pandemic. Grief over missed experiences was a regular occurrence in the past few years and can be difficult to navigate for those in their formative years,

How it shows up in the therapy room

Reports of…

• sadness or grief around lost opportunities
• difficulties “launching” or moving to the next stage of life
• regression into younger age or stage related behaviors

What parents and care givers can do to help

• Ask your child if there is anything they feel they missed
• Get creative with how to commemorate special milestones in a new way
• Talk about what it means to transition from one stage to the next and find ways your child can practice their transition

I doubt we have seen the last impacts of COVID-19 and it is important to remember how this pandemic has uniquely impacted our children and their development. As a mother myself, I know how stressful it has been to navigate parenting throughout the pandemic. You are not alone. If you have concerns about your child or their development talk to your pediatrician, your child’s school, or counselor.