Child Mental Health During COVID-19

• Listen to your child’s feelings, questions, and concerns
• Respond to your child’s cues
• Make sure your children know you are ready to talk; set aside time just for them
• Help your child identify and name their feelings

• Be patient and calm, this helps your child to be calm
• Notice that your child’s feelings may express as changes in their behaviour
• Expect that your child may become more easily frustrated or do things they did at younger ages
• Be understanding of your child’s behaviour 

• Let your child know that what they are feeling is okay
• Say your child’s feelings back to them from their point of view
• Reassure your child with love and touch
• Help your child feel safe 

• Answer your child’s questions about COVID-19 truthfully
• Keep your answers simple and age-appropriate, with clear information on reducing risk
• Get information from reliable sources
• Limit your child’s exposure to news and adult conversations

Links to help talk to kids about COVID-19 

• Child Mental Health Ontario 
• The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health 
• Canadian Mental Health Association 

• Routines help your child know what to expect and help them feel more secure
• Have regular bed times and make sure your child gets enough sleep
• Provide a variety of healthy food choices every day
• Build fun into the day, balance school work with free play, outside exercise, and relaxation

• It is important for your child to stay connected with family and friends
• Set up video calls for your child to see their loved ones
• Help your child to call or message family and friends
• Understand that it can be hard for your child to not see friends and family in person

• Children and Youth Planning table of Waterloo Region COVID-19 Resources for Children, Youth, and Families – Local community-wide partnership of service providers, researchers, planning and funding bodies serving children, youth and families providing list of COVID-19 resources
• Children’s Mental Health Ontario: COVID-19 Resources – Provincial website representing Ontario’s publicly funded child and youth mental health services providing resources, advocacy, service coordination
• Family Compass Waterloo Region - Access to local community-based services and supports for parents, youth and children
• Jack.org – National youth-focused mental health resources hub
• Mindyourmind.ca - Provincial young adult (14-29 years) focused interactive tools and resources for improving mental health, wellness, capacity and resilience
• School Mental Health Ontario: How to support your child’s mental health during COVID-19 – Provincial evidence based mental health information and support for families and schools
• Waterloo Catholic District School Board – Local school board website with mental health resources and support strategies for parents and caregivers during COVID-19
• Waterloo Region District School Board – Local school board website with mental health resources and support strategies for parents and caregivers during COVID-19
• Waterloo Region District School Board Parenting Essentials Video Series – Local school board partnering with Parents for Children’s Mental Health to provide webinars to support kids in coping with intense emotions

• Carizon for the Community – New website by local support organization with tools, videos, activities, links to supports for families’ mental health during COVID-19
• Carizon – Help for Parents and Caregivers During COVID-19 – Local support organization’s 11 page resource on parenting during COVID-19
• CPS #CaringForKidsDuringCovid – Canadian Paediatric Society short video tips on parenting during COVID-19
• Government of Canada – National COVID-19 Resources for Parents and Children
• Kids Help Phone: supporting the young people in your life during COVID-19 – National youth support crisis COVID-19 parenting support resource
• Parenting Now – Local program to learn from and connect with other parents and caregivers
• SickKids / AboutKidsHealth COVID-19 Learning Hub – The Toronto Hospital for Sick Children experts’ site on child health with resources on COVID-19 and how to help support child mental health and wellbeing
• Triple P Parenting During COVID-19 – World Wide Evidence Based Positive Parenting program tips for parenting during COVID-19
• Triple P - Online course for parenting including new COVID-19 module – World Wide Evidence Based Positive Parenting program online course
• United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) COVID-19 Parenting Tips – Worldwide humanitarian agency providing aid and resources to children – also available as a downloadable resource