The psychological impact of the pandemic was global; adults may recognize that they have a problem, but children cannot. How to realize that something is happening?
The pandemic, online classes and the migratory wave have affected children directly. To identify what is happening with them, it is necessary to improve communication levels in the family and observe changes in behaviors, which are the most direct alerts that can prevent the issue from escalating.
The psychologist Edgar Paucar gives recommendations to provide help, from the environment itself, to the smallest of the house.
How has the pandemic and the changes it brought affected children?
The pandemic has had an effect at all levels and this includes adults and children. Conditions changed and we were forced to quarantine and be isolated, this has a direct effect on people’s mental and emotional health.
Being confined in a confined space raises levels of stress significantly and this affects social and family welfare relationships. The problems that may have existed previously, such as domestic violence, were exacerbated.
How to cope with these new conditions caused by the pandemic?
The children’s mental health it will depend on the mental health of the adults, of the parents. Humans have one of the longest dependency periods of any other species.
The way to take care of children is by taking care of oneself and making sure that for any situation that overwhelms me, I need to seek external help and, also, through the natural supports we have, it is important to cultivate family and affectionate relationships.
Routines are important, especially healthy. Other areas of life should not be neglected, for example, not just work, to avoid affecting personal life.
How to improve the relationships and virtual study time of the minors who spend more time on the internet?
Education must be comprehensive, that not only touches the intellectual dimension, but also the emotional and the playful one. Areas such as art and physical activity have been impacted by this change. Even being inside the classroom is sometimes limiting, let alone in front of the screen. It is difficult to force a child to spend several hours in a class in front of a screen and maintain attention, because the level will fluctuate.
It would be best to reduce the learning sessions interspersed with rest spaces, away from the screen.
Does going back to school also require a transition process?
Most children are happy to return to the natural environment, where they can interact with their peers. There will be cases in which they got used to not going to school and it will cost them, but it will be a process of adaptation or rehabilitation, not only of them, but of all.
The accompaniment, of parents and teachers, in the emotional aspect is the main thing. That can make a difference.
How to recognize if the little ones have been affected by migration?
Be attentive to any abrupt change, especially in the mood. Parents need to watch out for verbal and non-verbal cues, such as mood swings, behavior, decreased appetite, trouble falling asleep, or disinterest in activities that you used to have fun with.
The child is possibly exposed to an adjustment disorder, linked to stress, that anyone can feel when faced with an event that threatens their stability.
In the migratory wave of the 90s, minors were affected and there were even cases of suicides. How to prevent and prevent this from happening?
It is important that they stay family charge that they are capable, in some way, of supplying that family and emotional roots. And in schools we also see children as human beings, not just as people who occupy a space, who must achieve a grade to pass a year. They must be attentive to their emotional needs.
They should also open spaces in which children can insert themselves into the community in a healthy way, to carry out sports and artistic activities of any kind, which allows them to interact with other children in their community and thus be a support in spaces that each authority should provide. (MR)
“Accompanying the children in the emotional aspect is the main thing. That can make a difference ”.
“In migration, children lose the direct relationship with their parents at the time in their lives that most needs themitan “
