Coming Out of Lockdown

As we all start to feel a little hopeful that we might see a bit of normality this summer it feels wonderful to get excited about the places we want to go, the things we want to do and the people we want to see. We can’t wait to take our little ones to all the places they’ve missed out on and for them to be part of the wider world again.

For younger children in particular, sometimes talking about these changes might feel a bit overwhelming. They don’t have the same memory recall as adults to remember what life was like before lockdown. The lifting of restrictions is again a whole new situation to take onboard when the last year has been so unsettling. Their world is expanding and changing from the security of being at home, to potentially dealing with lots of new people and places without having had opportunities of ‘normal life’ to maintain and develop the confidence and social skills they need.  

Helping your children understand their emotions and giving them tools to manage them, will help you to support them to gently navigate any potential problems that might arise.

Children don’t automatically understand how they feel, so explaining what ‘nervous’ or ‘anxious' might feel like in their body is a great first step. Follow this by helping your children learn how to calm and slow their breathing, should they feel that way, and practise kind and soothing self-talk (look out for our breathing exercises collaboration with Mind Marvels).

Often children worry about the unknown, so being conscious of taking the time to explain what to expect from a new person or place will help your children to feel more confident and secure, making ‘getting back to normal’ a more positive experience for everyone!