The virus affects not only the health of us adults but also the health of children. When you look at it, many unusual social events occur in our country. Events that disrupt the flow of our daily lives are considered traumatic for us and our children. Trauma is a process that occurs unexpectedly and creates fear and anxiety. Trauma is not defined only as the events we experience. The experiences of the individuals around us and their reactions are also considered trauma for us and our children.
In today's life, while children were in a busy life with school, courses and family activities, they entered a process that they could not define. Suddenly, while the parents continued to do their work outside, a certain amount of children could not go out. This caused them to experience unwanted emotions. For example, fear, worry, anxiety, etc. Experiencing long-lasting negative emotions causes individuals to start experiencing burnout syndrome or normalizing the traumatic situation. For example, since children constantly spend time at home and on the internet, they began to not want to leave their comfort zones during the quarantine period.
Taking their parents as an example, they sought answers to various questions such as what is the pandemic, how can we protect ourselves, and when will this process end? During this period, families' own psychological processes determined how their children survived the quarantine period. Previously existing communication problems made the problems experienced with their families more visible, but in addition, some families spent more time with their children, causing their communication problems to disappear.
What to do for the mental health of children after the quarantine period. It helps them get through this process positively. So, what needs to be done:
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To remind children briefly and clearly how they should protect themselves at school
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Not to ignore children's questions
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Playing communication-oriented and bond-oriented games with your child
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As parents, paying attention to our own mental health
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If your child has different behavioral patterns than before, get help from an expert
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Not keeping children in their comfort zone in order to protect them
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Talking about areas where they feel strong
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playing games
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Playing emotion regulation games
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