KMBC: Teens feeling affect of Coronavirus pandemic
Many people are experiencing anxiety over milestone events being canceled and that is no different with teenagers. Saint Luke's Crittenton Children's Center Director of Intake and counselor, Amanda Davis, spoke with KMBC about how teens may be experiencing anger or grief over not being able to experience some events because of the pandemic. She also talks about how parents can help their children through it.
Children and teens may be experiencing loss at this time.
"You might have those stages of grief. You may have anger with it," says Amanda Davis. "That would be really logical that they would be mad that they can't do these things they have been looking forward to, or wear that dress they spent all this money on."
Amanda says that parents should first check in with themselves and see how they are feeling with all the changes and uncertainties that life is bringing right now before talking with their children. Parents may be also feeling frustrated and feelings of grief as well for some of these milestone moments beiing canceled.
She says right now there is a lot that ma be out of our control and it is important to give children - and adults - something they can control and to look forward to. Parents can help their teens plan something fun that they can do in spite of missing out on proms, graduations, parties, etc.
