Six Ways to De-Stress with Kids
De-Stressing With Kids During Stressful Times
By Julie McKevitt, Paint Love founder and board chair
Social distancing… working from home…school cancelled…These are some seriously weird times! Everyone is in the same boat, though, and while extra stress may be inevitable, we want to help you have some creative fun during this time together.
Paint Love has experience helping kids develop healthy coping mechanisms because we typically serve kids whose lives are impacted by trauma. Trauma is defined as an event or experience that causes harm or poses a serious threat to a child’s emotional or physical wellbeing. Trauma is different than regular stress as it causes a sense of intense fear, distress, or helplessness that is beyond the normal range of experience.
Because each child is different and responds differently, what makes a lasting impact isn’t always determined by the event itself, but by the response.
THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT HELPs A CHILD EXPERIENCING EXTRAORDINARY STRESS, IS BUFFERING OF A CARING ADULT THAT HELPS THE CHILD FEEL RELATIVE SECURITY.
Art projects and mindful activities can help kids learn to identify their emotional state, emotional regulation, and stress management. By introducing kids to positive coping mechanisms, they develop a toolbox of techniques they can use throughout their life to fight stress.
BE THE CALM YOU WANT TO SEE
Be mindful of your mental state and how you spend the day, including what you say on the phone, on the internet, etc.—even if your kids don’t hear or read those comments, negative thoughts can consume you.
We’ve got proven methods on keeping your calm so you can co-regulate kids’ amped up emotions, and art projects for all ages that will help settle anxious thoughts.
Talking with kids about COVID-19
2. COMMUNICATE WITH HONESTY
We’ve got helpful resources about talking with your kids, what is age-appropriate, how to be a positive buffer for stress and refocus worry, and empowering art projects that help kids express their feelings when words might be hard to find.
Get Messy!
3. Reframe the Mess
Extra messes are coming. (EDIT: They’re here!) Learning to view some of these messes as learning opportunities for your kids can be powerful.
We share art basic art supply lists by age, and projects that let kids test boundaries safely and take ownership of choices in their creative process that actually help them regain a feeling of control in a crazy time.
Our team is working hard updating these resources, so these will be coming soon!
4. PLAN SOME FUN.
Dance parties are our easy go-to.
Create a schedule for your day - for elementary aged kids, some structure can help tame chaos and manage expectations. Put art + craft time, story time, outside adventures, and dance parties right on your schedule.
We’ll share some fun, easy activities you can do together, but remember that a little boredom is also okay, even healthy, to encourage creativity
5. FIND A “YES” OPPORTUNITY.
Be available for yes. Even amidst working from home, find at least a small amount of time where you can simply say “yes.” (Yes, I’ll play. Yes, we can get messy. Yes, let’s go outside.)
We’ll share collaborative and community building projects you can do with the people in your house, or to share digitally with loved ones to keep connection strong despite the distance.
6. GET OUTSIDE.
Nature!
Nature is a great stress reliever; we’ll share nature themed crafts and projects and more about how important it is to let kids stretch their imaginations with creative free play time.