Thank you for giving voice to children
One of the jobs we have as Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health professionals is to give voice to the child. While we cannot know for sure what the child is thinking or would express if s/he had the verbal skills to let us know, we can wonder. And, we can share this wondering with caretakers, parents, family members and other professionals working with children birth to age 5.
This is a critical time to give voice to children. As adults living through this pandemic, we have experienced all sorts of changes and adaptations to our lifestyles and with these have come a myriad of emotions which continue to change over time. Our stress levels have varied too, and our abilities to be with the children around us have been equally variable.
Through all this, what are the children experiencing? What would they say if they had the words and social emotional vocabulary to “let it all out.” As we are with them, it is helpful to be mindful that infants (actually, even prenatally), toddlers, and preschoolers are reacting to the pandemic changes and have emotional reactions, just as we adults do.
We can wonder:
What does it feel like to have daily routines and schedules change?
What is it like to be with family members 24/7? Where are my friends? My teachers?
My “neighborhood” suddenly is different. Is everyone OK?
Why do people have those masks on their faces?
I feel tension around me. Is it something I did?
(And if I am just 2 months old): So this is what life is like in my world?
One mother I spoke with was trying to work full-time from home with her 4-year-old demandingly ever present. Finally, she lost her cool one day, after supporting him in all the creative ways she could imagine. She yelled at him that she was trying to work and that he had to stop interrupting. He looked at her and, with great sadness, said, “I just want to be with someone.”
She said this moment made understanding his behaviors so much easier for her. Mom found a different way to respond because she heard his voice.
We encourage you to wonder with us. Wonder … to give voice to the children around you and help us all hear the impact of COVID-19 on children.