COVID-19's presence in our society, our communities, our households is the cause of a great deal of anxiety.
While children may not fully understand what's going on, they can still pick up on the fear and anxiety circulating within the their environment.
They also may not comprehend the importance of social distancing. They're disappointed by the reality of the situation. Allow them to own that disappointment (don't deny it), but try to find ways to explain why social distancing is so critical for the health of the family and the health of the world.
Dr. David J. Schonfeld is a developmental-behavioral pediatrician and Professor of the Practice in the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work and Pediatrics at the University of Southern California and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
He joins Melanie Cole, MS, to share tips for parents on creating structure and consistency, discussing feelings of fear and anxiety, and how to best get through these uncertain times.
Selected Podcast
How to Ease Your Children's Anxiety About Coronavirus
Featuring:
Dr. Schonfeld has authored over 100 scholarly articles, book chapters, and books. He has provided consultation and training on school crisis and pediatric bereavement in the aftermath of numerous school crisis events and disasters within the United States and abroad. He has also conducted school-based research (funded by NICHD, NIMH, NIDA, the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, William T. Grant Foundation, and other foundations) involving children’s understanding of and adjustment to serious illness and death and school-based interventions to promote adjustment and risk prevention.
David J. Schonfeld, MD, FAAP
Dr. David J. Schonfeld is a developmental-behavioral pediatrician and Professor of the Practice in the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work and Pediatrics at the University of Southern California and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. He is a member the American Academy of Pediatrics Disaster Preparedness Advisory Council and served as a Commissioner for both the National Commission on Children and Disasters and the Sandy Hook Advisory Commission in Connecticut; he was the President of the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics (SDBP) from 2006-2007.Dr. Schonfeld has authored over 100 scholarly articles, book chapters, and books. He has provided consultation and training on school crisis and pediatric bereavement in the aftermath of numerous school crisis events and disasters within the United States and abroad. He has also conducted school-based research (funded by NICHD, NIMH, NIDA, the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, William T. Grant Foundation, and other foundations) involving children’s understanding of and adjustment to serious illness and death and school-based interventions to promote adjustment and risk prevention.