Avoidance isn’t always the wrong path to take if your anxiety appropriately signals immediate danger.

Avoidance is a problem, however, when escape becomes your go-to response whenever your negative feelings or fears are the primary reason for your upset.

The safety and general rhythms of life that keep them grounded were upended. There are random tweaks to everyday activities that once seemed basic and permanent in their lives. Even the adults they relied on may seem less sure and capable than they once were.

It’s no wonder children are worried. But there is an upside to all of this.

You can still show your child how to cope, even if you can’t rush back to “normal life” again.

Anxiety can interfere with your connection to your partner and the way you parent. Moreover, the anxious feelings you have about yourself and the way you are perceived by others can lead to self-esteem issues and damage your connection with loved ones, coworkers, and potential relationships.

If you’re like many parents, you are not only existing in a state of physical, mental, and emotional fatigue; you’re carrying shame and guilt about being burned out, too.

“Bad parent” and mental health stigmas often lead to avoidance and a prolonged downward spiral. The resulting depression, anxiety, and chronic disease can thoroughly upend a family.

The key to resolving such distress? A healing balance of practical steps, prioritized care, and emotional support.

Even though the disorder is such a common one, it’s still easy to feel like you’re struggling as a parent when you don’t know how to help your child. The good news? There are things you can do to help them and to make life easier for both of you. Just because your child has ADHD doesn’t mean they can’t have a perfectly normal and fulfilling life.

It might feel like you’re doing fine overall, on paper… You’re still getting up, showering, going to work, parenting your kids. You’re successful. You have a full calendar. You’re getting the important things done. But you’re also exhausted, overwhelmed, and feeling like you should be doing more, or that there should be more to life than this.

The additional stressor for parents of these kids:  How can I inform the teacher of my child’s needs and how to work best with my child, without labeling or stigmatizing my child AND without stepping on the teacher’s toes/coming across as a hyper-vigilant helicopter parent?

First and foremost, let’s listen to the non-privileged voices. The voices of those who have real, lived experiences of racism and microaggressions in this world.

Parents who are still being at-home superstars with their kids, which means parents who are desperately in need of a break right now. You know who you are. And you know how hard it is to get some alone time these days, especially with kids who, as soon as they stop moving, are looking to you to fill the next second (and the next, and so on) with fun creative activities.

A lot of kids need some quiet time during the day to regulate and recharge, just like we adults do. Unfortunately, I have yet to meet a kid who can recognize and articulate this need. And I’m sure many of you parents are familiar with the kind of reaction that often follows the suggestion to take some “quiet time.”

How do you, who may be at that point where you feel you’ve been white-knuckling this parenting thing for the last several weeks, get a break when it doesn’t feel safe to get a sitter and leave the house for a while? How do you structure your days so summer feels fun and different from the rest of the year, when your vacation plans have been canceled? How do you, the overworked and exhausted parent, safely create some time and space to recharge, or zone out, or even nap, when your kids are ALWAYS RIGHT THERE WITH THE “WHAT’S NEXT? I’M BORED!”

Kids stuck at home can be feeling anxious and lonely. No matter the age, weekly therapy sessions can be a positive, steady part of their routine. Online counseling sessions can still provide a separate space for kids to ‘be somewhere else,’ with someone else for a bit. Having that designated time, being able to be heard and supported outside of their family, can give kids something to look forward to each week. Weekly sessions can help boost morale, manage anxiety, improve communication skills, and build self-esteem.

I’ll say it: Parents don’t need any more advice or ideas about how to make this time particularly fun and enriching for their kids. They need you to reach out, ask how things are going, maybe arrange a video chat and play some games with the kiddos… while the parents get to zone out for a few minutes.

Children who have experienced trauma, abuse, or neglect at any point in their lives, may struggle to feel safe- even if they are currently surrounded by safe people. Counseling sessions using Theraplay techniques provide the setting and strategies to help children feel nurtured, treasured, and safe with their caregivers.

Here’s the thing: Kids who have already lived through food scarcity and other traumatic experiences can smell the b.s. in your Pollyanna statements. They know, with a deep-down-unshakeable certainty that all things are not always okay. And that past evidence shows them they can easily go from a safe situation to an unsafe one.

This is a time of slowing down, prioritizing our errands, taking space. We’re finding different ways to connect with each other even though it is recommended that we physically keep our distance. We don’t know how the next several months will look, but I wonder if this can be a season of growth for us.

It is a natural human response to feel out of control in ambiguous situations. It is natural to try and gain control over the situation or in other areas (see: All the Facebook memes about stores being out of toilet paper).

if you feel like one more afternoon cooped up indoors is a recipe for bickering, meltdowns, and too much screen time, you’re probably in need of some quick ideas to channel that excess energy, lift the family mood, and inject some FUN into the dreariness