#CaringForKidsDuringCovid: Videos offer reassurance and guidance for parents

Pandemic-driven disruptions to daily life are pushing many families to the brink. Paediatricians and child psychiatrists are concerned about the how unrelenting stress—with no end in sight—is affecting parents and children.

In a series of brief videos, Canadian Paediatric Society leaders offer reassurance and guidance to parents. On topics from home schooling to screen time, the bottom line is similar: We all need to think differently about what we expect from ourselves as parents and from our children.  

“What I’m learning at home is to take it easy,” says Dr. Kassia Johnson, a developmental paediatrician and mother of two young children. She counsels parents not to struggle if children are resisting schoolwork. “Little brains are going to grow with love, with reading, with snuggling, with running and playing.”

Dr. Sarah Gander, a community paediatrician in New Brunswick, adds that trying to be the perfect home-schooler or child care provider is bound to cause stress and anxiety for parents.

“There’s a lot of life learning that can happen during a walk, during a conversation or during a game,” Dr. Gander says.

Dr. Michelle Ponti, author of the CPS guidelines on digital health, says many parents are feeling guilty about the amount of time children are spending on screens.

“Shift from thinking too much about the time limits and think more about screen use, how we’re using [screens], and what we’re prioritizing when we’re using those screens,” Dr. Ponti advises.

Letting go of what life was like before the pandemic may be a challenge, but families need to “do the best we can with what we have access to,” counsels child psychiatrist Dr. Jean Clinton.

Visit the Canadian Paediatric Society’s YouTube channel to watch all the videos:

• Overwhelmed? Find your own “perfect”, with Dr. Sarah Gander, President of CPS Social Paediatrics Section
• School at home: Focus on the long game, with Dr. Kassia Johnson, Member of CPS Early Years Task Force
• Together, safe, connected: A recipe for resilience, with Dr. Jean Clinton, Member of CPS Early Years Task Force
• Screen time: More knowledge, less guilt, with Dr. Michelle Ponti, Chair of CPS Digital Health Task Force

Our thanks to Kathilee Porter of The Blend Media Group for producing these videos.

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The information on this blog should not be used as a substitute for medical care and advice. The views of blog writers do not necessarily represent the views of the Canadian Paediatric Society.