They generally express themselves less, but children are also suffering from the coronavirus health crisis. Here are some tips to help them.
Interruption then resumption of school, confinement, teleworking of parents, budgetary restrictions… The coronavirus health crisis disturbs children as much as adults.
“In recent years, various studies have shown that confinement due to SARS, Ebola and other viruses has caused symptoms of stress in 30% of children and 40% of parents. We quickly saw this with the coronavirusexplains Professor Richard Delorme, head of the child psychiatry department at the Robert-Debré hospital in Paris. The 4-10 year olds we see in consultation told us more about their concern for their health and that of their family. Twenty percent also feared money problems to end the month. All this emotional aspect remained within the house.”
A tip sheet
The Center of Excellence for Neurodevelopmental Disorders (InovAND) at Robert-Debré Hospital, coordinated by Professor Delorme, has developed for Caf a plug to help children overcome this period. Here is his advice to parents:
1. Make yourself available to your child, listen to him.
2. Show your child all the good things about this period.
3. Maintain or return to a structured daily routine for your child.
4. Help your child improve the management of his emotions.
5. Introduce her to happy new prospects.
6. Be less demanding with him and introduce new, more flexible rules.
7. Relax. Laughter is a very powerful anti-stress remedy.
8. Take care of yourself.
Symptoms of malaise in children
Several symptoms can testify to a malaise in the child: sleep disturbances, eating disorders, need to always be with his parents, outbursts of anger, withdrawal, violence… If the disturbances persist, he does not should not hesitate to consult a pediatrician, or to go to a PMI to find professional help.
According to the latest report from Public Health France, the coronavirus has infected more than 174,000 people and killed more than 30,000 people in France.
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