New to Bounty?
By Ashley de Silva, ReachOut CEO
With lockdowns gradually easing across the country, the return of face-to-face learning in full swing and social occasions back on the cards, young people are readjusting to living with COVID-19. For many, this means there will be a whole new set of challenges and changes to contend with, and feeling both stressed and excited is perfectly understandable.
Your teen may be feeling a level of anxiety associated with returning to school, hanging out with friends again, catching the virus or just generally re-engaging with the outside world. It is important to let them know these feelings are completely valid and it might take some time before they feel ‘back to normal’ or even feel comfortable with what their new normal looks like.
For some young people there will also be a sense of excitement about regaining some freedoms, independence and being social again. Either way, it’s important to remind your teen to pace themself and practice self-care.
Ashley de Silva is the ReachOut CEO.
When asked about adjusting to life after lockdown, many young people are telling us that they’re feeling somewhat ambivalent. On one hand, some are excited to finally see their friends again but on the other hand they’re worried about COVID-19 cases rising or being social again.
As a parent, this period of readjustment may be challenging and it is important to create an open dialogue so that your teen feels comfortable reaching out.
Here are five practical tips to talk about with your teen as they adjust to life after lockdown …
Your teen may be feeling a level of anxiety associated with returning to school, hanging out with friends again, catching the virus or just generally re-engaging with the outside world.
So, as we adjust to living with COVID-19 in the community, let’s remind our teens to pace themselves as it might take some time before everyday life returns to some sense of normalcy.
For more information about ReachOut, visit ReachOut.com, ReachOut.com/Parents and ReachOut.com/Schools.
Young people and parents can also access ReachOut’s online communities to connect with others for peer support.