PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The last 20 months have been hard for everyone, but children are in for a long haul of their own.
From the disruption of routines and school schedules to isolation and tough conversations with family and friends, what does it all mean for a mind that is still developing?
It can be difficult, particularly with younger kids who can’t yet get vaccinated, for parents to help them navigate this new and unusual landscape. Dr. Yesenia Marroquin, a clinical psychologist at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, says it’s important to just hear them out.
“[If] they just seem on edge often, then I would encourage parents to instill something that’s called worry time, which is five minutes at some point during the day where, ‘Hey, kiddo, you are free to share whatever worries are coming up for you.’ And limited to five minutes,” Marroquin told KYW Newsradio In Depth, which you can listen to in the player above. “And the reasoning for that is, the more we talk about worries, the more we feed into them.”
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For kids over 12 who may be vaccinated, the discussion becomes more complex. For instance, can they hang out with unvaccinated friends or friends’ families?
Marroquin said parents and kids should establish boundaries together. When it comes to non-negotiable terms, explain that circumstances have changed due to the ever-shifting pandemic, and it’s not coming from the other parent or family being inconsistent.
“It’s more, ‘You know what, I did my research, I spoke with a pediatrician and this is what’s helping inform my decision-making.’ ”
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The situation will only get harder as we enter the winter months, forcing get-togethers indoors — which opens another concern: vaccinated versus unvaccinated family members at the holidays.
How do you delicately ask for everyone’s vaccination status without erupting into World War III?
Marroquin advises being upfront and sticking with the facts, but also avoiding shaming behavior. After all, as parents, you are role models for your kids, and they are definitely watching how you react.
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With pandemic fatigue affecting everyone, Marroquin said there’s a balance to keeping your mental health a priority while simultaneously maintaining healthy relationships.
“When we are incredibly tapped out, suffering is a place of being stuck. … And acceptance is not, ‘I agree with it.’ It is not like, ‘I’m A-OK.’ It is, ‘This is the reality. I am recognizing of it and I’m not trying to fight against it.’ Because as much as we do, we can’t.
“ ‘For right now, I’m consciously being aware of the reality that is, because that can then help lead to actual change.’ ”
Independence Blue Cross presents The Long Haul: Learning to Live in a Lasting Pandemic, a special pandemic mini-series from KYW Newsradio In Depth. Listen to the full conversation in the player above.