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1. Assignment Riya Sharma Title A Parent’s Guide to Becoming Child’s Emotional Safety Net In Pandemic Parenting in the Pandemic: Tips to Avoid Stressing Your Child Out Why Your Child Needs a Different Approach to Parenting in this Pandemic! Summary The pandemic has presented some unique challenges for parenting. Psychologists have offered invaluable suggestions to counter pandemic-induced stress and its consequent negative impact on your child’s mental health. Monitoring emotional red flags, finding ways to stay connected, and practicing self-care are key ingredients of creating a healthy family environment amidst the chaos. Statistics 1.Suicide Prevention India Foundation’s (SPIF) online survey called ‘Covid-19 Blues’ found: Anxiety (88.7%), job loss or fear of job loss (76.1%) and stress 73.6%), isolation/loneliness and financial insecurity (73% each) top the list of common problems faced by people as reported by therapists. 2.A joint study by the Institute of Social Sciences and the Child Rights and You

2. 50% of children surveyed experienced stress of trauma during the Covid-19 pandemic, over 40% felt bored and worried. Reduction in family income is associated with greater stress. Article Pandemic or not, your emotions as a parent are bound to spill over to your child’s life. But there are unique challenges that the pandemic brings. Staying afloat in the uncertain economy, feelings of alienation, fear, and disconnect from the world, and the piling household and remote work responsibilities have significantly increased stress in adults. The stress trickles down to children easily. It will surprise you how strong your child’s emotional radar is. They can know when parents are upset and absorb the distress, much like sponges. Most younger ones cannot vocalize how they feel and may engage in undesirable behaviors to let off some steam. As the pandemic restrictions ebb and flow, parents can manage their child’s mental health by taking a few simple measures. A good way to start is to monitor signs of distress: getting annoyed easily, showing disinterest in routine/school activities, and temper tantrums. Also, watch out for what causes these behaviors to increase. Oversharing fears, watching negative news all day, and yelling are all ways in which parents unknowingly contribute to distress. But remember: there is no simple cause-and-effect when it comes to negative emotions in children. Parent stress is not the only antecedent; your child has a social life much beyond their relationship with you. Isolation, managing online classes, limited social life and venting opportunities, and career-related fears. Apart from actively monitoring red flags, parents can take a few more measures. One popular piece of advice that parents get from medical and mental health professionals is to limit screen time. Online classes have put children at risk of a more sedentary lifestyle, but it is important to allow some fun distractions. Just convert them into a family activity- watch the movie or play the video game together. Creating charts to divide household work is a good way to teach children to take responsibility.

3. It is important to note that the child may sometimes refuse to comply with some requests. While it is not easy to deal with a rebel, accepting and normalizing them feeling disinterested will go a long way in decreasing the problems that come with the constant power struggle. Redirect your attention to what the child is getting done rather than turning your home into a war zone. Avoid negative language like, “you are lazy”. Listen to and validate their feelings rather than dwelling on each mistake they make. Remember to not overwhelm yourself with information and the need to manage the pandemic ‘perfectly’. Pick one or two strategies that you’d like to try in your family, and start there. Don’t aim at eating all three meals together and force bonding. Aim for quality over quantity. Finally, you can always take help from mental health experts. Many schools now have a dedicated professional working to support the socio-emotional life of their students in the form of a school counselor. Keeping your child’s school psychologist or teachers in the loop will improve their academic life and socio-emotional well-being. Key Take-aways -Accept that these are difficult times for both yourself and your child(ren) -Practice self-care -Avoid fear-mongering and prolonged exposure to negative news -Appreciate positive behaviors rather than highlighting negative ones -Balance doing things your kids love with including them in sharing responsibilities -Let your child be sad and normalize small periods of unproductivity -Take professional help from your child’s school counselors Conclusion (100 words)

4. To cope with the demands of the pandemic, parents need to practice self-care first. Monitoring one’s stress can avoid the possibility of children absorbing negative emotional cues from parents. Create a supportive environment for your child by empathizing with their frustrations. Allowing healthy distractions and focusing on what they are doing right versus what they are not will improve their relationship with you. Find creative ways to bond together as a family. Above all, remember to practice moderation and avoid the trap of ‘making the best out of a pandemic’ mentality. This is not a race! References https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbc5-YARGUA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_R1zWwK7N9c https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/india-news-is-mental-health-indias-next- pandemic/363308 https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2021/mar/24/50-kids-faced-stress-during-covid- 2280746.html https://resilienceguide.org/pg-building-a-resilient-family/