As a parent, your wellbeing and your children’s wellbeing is very important—especially during rocky times and in times of high-anxiety.
Your own emotions and state of mind will have an impact on how your children are feeling.
More than anything, children need to feel they are loved and safe. Understanding your child’s emotions is an important part of helping them feel connected to their world and cope through life’s ups and downs.
Take time to listen to their worries and feelings and give them comfort.
Be kind to yourself and others, and stay connected. A good way to ease worrying times for children is to spend quality time with your family and focus on what you can do 'in the moment'.
Below are some ideas, tips, websites and apps to help you and your family focus on love, safety, connectedness and good health.
| Love |
Love Talk Sing Read Play
This site has been developed by parents who are health workers, for parents who want the latest, evidence-based information about their children's social and emotional development. |
| Safety |
COVID-19: an online safety kit for parents and carers Reliable information to keep your family safe, both online and emotionally, and to make the most of the home isolation.
Stress and resilience A Harvard University toolkit from the Center of the Developing Child about how toxic stress affects the whole family and what we can do about it. |
| Connection |
Beyond Blue Healthy Families Age 1–5 Understanding your very young child's emotions is an important part of helping them feel connected to their world and building resilience.
Borrowing e-books from the library Wishing you could make us of the local library? Register here for free online resources, including Story Box Library – favourite picture books ready by great storytellers. |
| Health |
Information for families
Children's Health Queensland provides quality and easy to understand information for families, including COVID-19 updates and how to talk about 'big' topics with your child.
Supporting children during the coronavirus outbreak A video, fact sheets and tips from Emerging Minds to assist parents support their children and reduce worry and distress about COVID-19. |
| Parent support |
Parentline A helpline that offers confidential phone and webchat counselling for parents in Queensland and the Northern Territory who need support.
Grown-ups: anger and stress Helpful articles for parents relating to stress, anxiety and anger including stress management tips – links to mindfulness, breathing, trauma coping, etc.
Looking after your mental health in the coronavirus outbreak Helpful articles for parents relating to stress, anxiety and anger including stress management tips – links to mindfulness, breathing, trauma coping, etc.
Parenting in the time of COVID-19 Tips from the World Health Organisation to help parents interact with their children during this time of confinement to stay positive, manage stress and talk about COVID-19.
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