Suicide rates and risks for black children are rapidly rising during the isolation of the pandemic. Here’s 5 things you can do to help your child manage this time in a healthy way
These habits form anchors that will help your child feel secure in a time of uncertainty and disconnection.
- Help your child come up with a daily affirmation to remind her or him of what’s great about themselves. For example, if empathy is their strength, they might say to themselves, “I am Correctly Caring. I enjoy being kind to others.” Or simply to associate their name with one of their great qualities, like “I am the Marvelous Marky!” or “I am Awesome Anika!”
- Spend 2 minutes in the morning to hold hands and say a prayer for the day. It can be a simple statement of intention like, “Today we will focus on learning one new thing that will help us grow and be wiser”. Then talk
about it in the evening to help them become more aware of the value in each day. - Put up a calendar for your child. Decide with them what you are going to track. Maybe finishing tasks, maybe good grades, maybe new ideas they’ve created. Mark those that your child has achieved over each week. As you continue to do this, your child can see a string of accomplishments. Maybe even have a monthly “Awards” ceremony!
. - Eat at least one meal together during which each child gets a few
minutes to talk about whatever they would like you to listen to.
You must not interrupt and you should express appreciation for their statements, whatever they are. - Arrange for either outdoor or video play dates on a weekly basis. Some
of these will be with other children but can also be with a grandparent
or family friend. The video play date can include a movie, online game,
dance exercise, shared online drawing, etc.
The underlying purpose is to give an underlying consistency to schedules and routines that are subject to change. For a child to know that each and every day counts as a new opportunity to achieve, to enjoy and to learn helps them see their purpose. Where they learn and with whom might change but what you have set up at home doesn’t have to. Kids also learn that while some days aren’t so great, there’s always good days to balance life out. We’ll add more later