The world is spinning right now. Just today, the happiest place on earth closed. Universities are shutting down, parents are home working. In the midst of all of this, many students’ worlds are dramatically changing. Their support system, their daily structure, their hard work they have put in all semester, all of these are now uncertain.
Many teens and college students struggle with anxiety. Watching our society as we know it drastically change is shaky business for us all. There is no doubt many of these things need to happen to slow down the progression of COVID-19. I am a fixer. It is unsettling at best to not be able to do anything to help the current situation. There is much I don’t know and that is a helpless feeling even to an adult. There are however, several things I do know and many things I can influence during this time.
Our “kids” need any stability that only we can offer. When the world is moving off its axis, it is a good time to remind our kids of what is true and right and real. In light of that, here are some things you can do to help this situation and provide a bit of comfort in a world of chaos.
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Remind them that you are there for them. It is ok to express anxiety, fear or even depression. They are experiencing loss. Loss of community, loss of their world at college or high school as they know it. There is nothing weak about showing vulnerability in a time like this.
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Be prepared. I’ve done what I can to have food, medicine, bleach and all of the other possible necessities readily available at my home. Let them know, you’ve prepared. It is comforting for them to know that we see the storm coming and have anchored ourselves for it.
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Focus outward, not inward. Today, a member of my community posted on social media that she had extra toilet paper during this shortage. She asked if anyone needed any. She didn’t want to hoard it, she wanted to share it. Can you think of a better time to show our children the example of helping and serving others during a very difficult time? There is no time like the present to be the light in our communities, to practice kindness and to be givers rather than takers.
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Make the time count. When and if the time comes for your family to isolate, be intentional with the time. In a hurried world where we are all moving and traveling in different directions, this is a time to get to know one another again. Our college students and high school students change so much from year to year and even from month to month. Sometimes, it is like meeting someone completely new for the first time. They are forming new opinions, making new friendships, have new dreams and new challenges. Take this time to get to know them again.
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Above all, let’s teach our kids not to fear. Fear gets us nowhere. I am limiting myself to the amount of news I watch. I don’t want to live in fear. Soaking in what the media is feeding us isn’t helping my attitude about the situation. Instead, I’ll do what I can to help those around me, laugh and enjoy my kids while I have a few extra days with them and maybe even pull out the old monopoly board and teach my kids a new game or two.
In the middle of this scary storm, there is a peace that we can find that will allow us to focus on the things that are most important to us.
