OMAHA, Neb. — Now that children are out of school and are spending more time at home, it may be difficult to adapt to the new norm for both parents and kids. Child mental health experts say now is the perfect time to make adjustments to better cope with the pandemic.
"I would say it's a scary time for all of us and children pick up the emotions of adults. They see how adults are managing and clearly we see we're all anxious, we're all stressed," Child Saving Institute President & CEO Peg Harriott said.
Kids can't go for a drive to clear their head, they can't even get away at school. It's tough when they're stuck at home and their norm has been disrupted. Because of this, they may start acting out. Harriott says that is normal.
"Be patient. Listen to what they're saying. Understand that children don't often have the words to explain what they're feeling. So their behaviors are messages to us," she said.
Structure is key.
"Plan snacks, plan when we're going to go outside, plan screen time," Harriott said.
Child Saving Institute offers an array of services for children and parents including childcare, adoption and now teletherapy.
"We've moved to almost all of our therapy programs to being available online," Harriott said.
To learn more you can reach Child Saving Institute at 402-553-6000 Mon.-Fri.