During this difficult time we find ourselves reaching out to family and friends more than ever. When we are directed to maintain physical distance, naturally we desperately search for ways to connect digitally.

In February, my younger son, Gus, went to school at Cheney Tech one day, and was pulled out of class for a cap and gown fitting. “Some ‘fitting’,” he chuckled that night. “I wrote down my own height and weight, and gave them thirty-five dollars.” I wonder if he’ll be getting a refund.

How do you support young children and their mental health through this tremendously different and unusual time? The first thought that comes to mind is having empathy, or understanding how they are feeling and responding appropriately. But what if your child is too young to really
understand their emotions, where do you start then?

I was never a little girl who dreamed of horses or cooed over cats or begged for a puppy. But a couple of years ago, a little gray stray cat needed temporary shelter before a blizzard.

One sure way to boost your mood is to practice an attitude of gratitude. Psychology Today lists 7 scientifically proven benefits of gratitude, including improved psychological health and better sleep.

Over the last several decades, uttering the term “grounded” within families often brings up feelings of fear, unease, sadness, or even anger. Why? The phrase “you’re grounded” evokes mental images or memories of a punitive nature when as a child or young adult, your independence was restricted.

Often when we think about taking care of our mental health, we only consider us adults who are always managing a balancing act in life and need concrete ways to take care of who we are such as exercise, mindfulness practices, and even therapy.

All your friends have advice about how to deal this pandemic: keep your head up, eat right, get exercise, connect with friends, get some sleep, and on, and on, and on…. But what about when you’re in crisis and need to talk with a professional?

As I’m sitting at home watching the kids with this coronavirus pandemic, I went to my five-year-old son’s room, he had this startled look in his eyes as he was climbing on the bed. He had a chair on the bed and a pillow on the floor. I asked him what he was up to, he replied, I’m going to jump off the chair that is on the bed and land on the pillow. It will be fun.