As a parent, you want the best for your kids and to avoid having them feel sad or disappointed. You love them and want to see them happy and joyful. Unfortunately, with the spread of COVID-19, the world has been turned upside down. Life is different now, and the reality is that many people are missing out on friends and events.

Your children may take this news poorly and act out or feel sad because of it. As a parent, it hurts to see your kids upset and feeling down. Therefore, it’s wise to find positive ways to deal with the stress of missing social events and friends to help lift their spirits. Be glad to know there are useful ways to help you handle your children’s disappointment when everything is cancelled.

Open up & Talk

Your kids may be confused about what’s going on and have a lot of questions. Therefore, be as open and honest as you can with them and share as many details as you think they can handle and understand at their age. Have a conversation with them so they can share their feelings and not bottle up their emotions. Be there to listen and offer advice if they ask for it. Understand that they may be grieving and will need extra love and support from you.

Plan Fun Activities

Another way to deal with the stress of missing friends and events is to plan fun activities that you can do with your kids. For example, you can go apple picking, play outdoors, and get out the arts and crafts supplies in your home. Give them your undivided attention and show them that there are other ways to enjoy their time while we wait out the virus. Focus on what you can do now for enjoyment or to support your community.

Avoid Making Promises

There are a lot of uncertainties and unknowns currently. Therefore, avoid making promises that you may not be able to keep. You may want all to go back to normal, but the truth is no one knows exactly when this may occur. Instead, distract them by spending more quality time together and doing what you can to stay active and engaged in life. Direct their attention away from trying to predict the future and remain in the present moment and work with what you have available to you.

Embrace Technology

The good news is that there have been recent advancements in technology that will help you and your children to cope with missing out on events and friends. Take advantage of and embrace technology as a way to stay connected to loved ones, including friends and family members. Set up a video call for them so they can see these important people and interact with them even though they’re not face-to-face. You might also permit them to use more social media platforms, depending on their age. While technology is useful, you should still be mindful of what platforms your children are using and make sure they’re being safe.