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Help your kids adjust to physical distancing with these 5 tips.

Finding a new normal as we all adjust to COVID-19 physical distancing and shelter-in-place protocols is difficult for everyone, not least of all for those of us with children. As a parent, you likely have the added challenge of balancing your daily activities while supervising your kids at home. When routines are disrupted due to unexpected circumstances, kids can experience unfamiliar, scary emotions like stress, anxiety, and fear. Physical distancing, in particular, can bring up big feelings as children feel the sting of isolation just as much, if not more, than adults do. As these transitions start to pile up, things can get overwhelming pretty quickly, for both you and your children.

Here are some tips you can use today to support your kids in thriving during this challenging experience. Plus, they’ll help you stay grounded and productive, as well.

  1. Be reassuring
    You wouldn’t be human if you weren’t feeling at least some stress and anxiety right now. Your first instinct may be to shelter your children from what’s going on in the world. While it may seem like protecting them from this knowledge will keep them from being afraid, the opposite may be the case. Calm communication about what’s happening may help your kids feel more at ease and can make this new normal feel less scary. Don’t be afraid to be honest about how you’re feeling and what you’re doing to handle those feelings; that will demonstrate for your kids healthy ways to cope with uncomfortable emotions. Not sure where to start? The CDC has helpful guidelines for talking with your children about the coronavirus.

    Try this: Have a family meeting and ask each of your kids to take turns explaining what the coronavirus is. Keep it light as much as possible, but fill in any information gaps they may have.

  2. Keep up with routines and schedules
    Life is anything but typical right now. Sticking to existing family routines can help your kids have an easier time coping with shelter-in-place protocols. To build structure in your home, the CDC recommends using the three “ingredients” below:
    • Consistency: doing the same thing every time
    • Predictability: expecting or knowing what is going to happen
    • Follow-through: enforcing the consequence

    When your children know what to expect from each day, they tend to feel safer and more protected, and routines may help promote their health and overall well-being.

  3. Set up online playdates
    While physical distancing pretty much limits all in-person playdates regardless of where they usually occurred, that doesn’t mean that your kids can’t see their friends. Children need social interaction just as much as adults do, so it’s worth getting together with other parents to schedule virtual play dates to help combat loneliness and lack of stimulation.

    Try this: Have everyone pick one fun activity that they can do together over a video call. Not only will this help kids focus on something more positive, but it may also make them feel included and safe.

  4. Make family time more fun
    Getting inventive with how to spend your family time will help ease the burden of burnout. Try to make plans that are outside the norm of what you might normally do on a regular basis. Find a kid-friendly recipe to cook together, learn a new skill, or make crafts from things you have around the house. When family time is fun, your children will be more engaged, and keeping busy on a stimulating project can help reduce stress and anxiety.

    Try this: Our Wellvolution programs can help you find new ways to get fit as a family, and we’ve put together more tips for developing offline, health-conscious habits with your kids.

  5. Prioritize time alone
    We recommend everyone in the household take some personal time to recharge and decompress. That might be carving out time for a bath, enjoying a game of fetch with the dog in your backyard, or breaking out some reading after the kids have gone to bed. Prioritizing everyone’s well-being can help the whole family cope while we’re safe indoors

    Try this: Block out alone time every day during a set time. This will help young kids know what to expect and give older kids comfort in knowing they’ll get to retreat into their “zones” as well.

 

Finally, a good family meal around the table is a good way to help kids stay healthy and engaged. Here are a few ways to include more fun around the dining table.

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COVID-19 vaccines for teens | Blue Shield of CA

Some teens 16 and up are eligible to get the vaccine now.
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Your helpful guide to COVID-19 vaccines for little kids

COVID-19 vaccines are now available for children as young as 6 months. This milestone is bringing a sense of relief to many parents.   

In fact, parents can feel confident knowing that the vaccines are safe and effective for young kids.  

“Technically, the two vaccines approved for children ages 6 months to 5 years aren’t new,” says Annabelle de St. Maurice, MD. She’s an assistant professor in the infectious diseases division at UCLA. “They’re simply a lower dose of the same Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines given to adults and older children.” That means they have already been thoroughly researched.  

If you haven’t vaccinated your little one yet, you may still have questions. Here are some facts to help you make your decision.  

Fact: Studies show that COVID-19 vaccines are overwhelmingly safe for little kids 

Moderna and Pfizer vaccines for children 6 months to 5 years have been authorized for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They have been studied in thousands of children around the world. The vaccines are safe and effective for everyone 6 months and older, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

And there have been no severe side effects that would outweigh the benefits of vaccination, says Dr. de St. Maurice. Plus, experts continue to keep an eye out for very rare vaccination side effects. This helps to ensure that the shot is safe.  

Fact: COVID-19 vaccine side effects in young kids are usually mild  

In clinical trials, side effects of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines in young kids were similar to the ones in adults. They include injection site pain, achiness, and fever. They are usually mild or moderate and go away in a day or two. With infants, you may notice some fussiness or tiredness.  

Keep in mind that these side effects don’t mean your child is ill. Rather, it’s a sign that the vaccine has triggered their immune system to build a defense against COVID-19.  

Fact: Young children are eligible for either Pfizer or Moderna shots  

Pfizer and Moderna shots use the same science to protect against the worst effects of the virus. Both are proven to be effective, says the American Academy of Pediatrics. But there’s a difference in how the vaccines are given to this age group, per the CDC.  

Pfizer 

  • Three-shot series for children 6 months to 4 years old 
  • Two-shot series for children 5 and older 
     

Moderna 

  • Two-shot series for children 6 months to 5 years old 
  • If you have questions about which vaccine is best for your little one, talk to your child’s doctor.   


Schedule your child’s COVID-19 vaccine today. 

Fact: The vaccine can keep little kids from getting really sick 

It is true that a COVID-19 infection is generally not severe in young children. But it can be.   

It’s especially important that children who have health conditions like leukemia get vaccinated, says Cody Meissner, MD. He’s a pediatric infectious disease expert at Dartmouth Health Children’s in Lebanon, New Hampshire. He’s also a member of the FDA advisory board that approved the vaccines for emergency use in young kids.   

If your child is in a high-risk group, consult with their doctor about the vaccine.

Even if your child isn’t in a high-risk category, vaccinating them is a smart prevention move, Dr. de St. Maurice points out.  

“We do see healthy kids who get very sick from COVID-19 and have to be hospitalized,” she says. “While it may happen very rarely, what if your child is one of those unlucky few? In a distressing situation like that, many parents’ first thought is, ‘What could I have done to prevent this?’”  

Fact: Vaccinating young kids may help protect against long COVID 

As you know, vaccination doesn’t 100% protect you from catching COVID-19. The main purpose of getting the shots is to lower the odds of getting really sick. Now research is showing an extra benefit. The vaccine may also help protect people from developing long COVID.  

People with long COVID <add link to Long Covid article> still have at least one symptom 4 weeks after a COVID-19 infection. Symptoms can last for many months. 

Another benefit of vaccinating children is that it’s good for everyone. Higher vaccination rates can reduce the risk that folks of any age will catch the virus.  

“When fewer people are infected with COVID-19, fewer new variants of COVID-19 develop,” Dr. de St. Maurice says. And that can help keep all of us safe and healthy.  

 
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