Yesterday for the first time in 45 days, our children went out in the street, with different performances by them, and from Ziving we want to advise you . We cannot forget that these are children, who overnight have been deprived of school, of daily physical contact with their educators and friends. That is, its safe context and many of its main references. These departures, with responsibility, will allow them to regain some normality within the situation.
For some, their children’s ability to adapt will be surprising and for others it will be very difficult, because they will have developed behaviors and fears that are difficult to manage. Emotions such as anxiety, irritability, frustration, sadness and fear among others, and in many children also regressive behaviors: lack of sphincter control, going back to sleep with a pacifier or walking around the house with a doll from when they were younger. All of these behaviors are normal, and when everything returns to normal, the vast majority will also return to normal and readapt even earlier than adults. As parents, our job will be to help them in this process and to take care of them emotionally to the extent that each one of us can.
Look closely at what we need and whatour children really need, both needs are mixed during confinement: assess whether or not it is really good for your children to go out every day, at least at the beginning.
Today we share some recommendations to try to deal with the situation in the best possible way:
- Tell them what the outing will be like, what they will be able to do, what they won’t be able to do, and what to do when they get home. Everything clearly and calmly, without scaring them as it could be counterproductive and they may not want to go out for a while.
- Answer all their questions, calmly and with answers adapted to their age. They will have a lot of them, especially when they are on the street: Few people, many with masks, closed stores, empty parks, etc. Get ready for the third degree!
- Manage their expectations well, and yours.We will have very clear conditions for what the outings will have to be, and I don’t think they will include any of the things they did before the lock-in with total freedom. Always wait for official announcements, and above all, let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves because, as you may have noticed, things are constantly changing.
- Explain that this will come, but that we will go through different stages,and now we are in the first one, which will be a short walk with mom or dad. Empathize with them, we too are looking forward to getting back to normal, but we are adjusting and getting closer and closer.
- Don’t force him, ask him if he wants to go for a walk. He may not be ready and that’s okay, give him space. It doesn’t have to come out the first day, maybe you can spend a couple of days and try to offer it in a roundabout way: “I’m going down for a walk, do you want to come with me to throw away the cardboard? I need a helper!”. If you have lived with a lot of anguish at home or have resorted to fear and panic, it is normal that you do not want to go out. There is still time to rectify and redirect the situation by relaxing the messages and making them not see going out on the street as something hostile.
- Sense of humor:It is a very complicated situation for everyone, it is normal to be nervous and it will help us to relax a little by laughing when we see ourselves with the masks on, or singing a funny song when we wash our hands. Don’t forget that, first and foremost, they are children.
- We are an example for them,let’s respect the rules too, and let’s not overburden ourselves. There is no point in telling them to be calm if they see us distressed in the process. Ideally, you should go downstairs with the adult who is going to manage it with the serenity and security they need.
- Enjoy this time with them,they will surely surprise us with how well they adapt to the situation, just as they have done during the confinement. Focus on positive messages, the fresh air, the low pollution, the birds we don’t normally hear because of traffic, how clean everything is.
From Ziving Tomas Sastre, we are working so that we can soon reopen our doors to resume treatments, and that the process we started yesterday is a step towards it. With responsibility we will achieve it
Ziving Tomas Sastre.
www.tsastre.com
