Under normal circumstances, back-to-school time can be tough for kids, but add in the global pandemic, and the prolonged time off from school, and you might have epic tantrums.
Jack Parnell-Driver, from the UK’s YoungMinds Parents Helpline explains that it might be harder for kids to regulate their behavior right now because they’ve lost their usual coping mechanisms, such as seeing friends or taking part in routine activities.
Pediatrician Harvey Karp adds, “Boredom, frustration, fatigue, poor diet, and the inevitable limitations of your living space during lockdown can be as explosive as mixing nitro and glycerin.”
The experts say to deal with these things, parents should talk to their child in a simple way—and validate their feelings, mirror about a third of their child’s emotional intensity with their own tone of voice, and actions, reward good behavior when they see their child displaying it, and to give them attention—as well as “special time,” which is a daily routine of two 5- to 10-minute sessions of uninterrupted attention.
