Antoinette Frearson is a community tutor with Worcestershire County Council Adult Learning, a special needs tutor and is also working towards a Masters in Education (special education and inclusion).

In the first of a new series of features, she takes a look at the fallout from the Covid-caused disruption to children’s education and offers strategies to calm dysregulated children after the year they have undergone

Pandemic pandemonium has unsettled us all at some point, but for children this can cause even more anxiety and emotional upset with loss of routines, school closures and having to adapt to new safety rules on return to school.

Have you noticed your child feeling permanently tired or lethargic, complaining of being bored, showing displaced anger/frustration or preferring to zone out on screen-time?

These strategies may help restore some much-needed balance and calm into their lives.

Following the 5 steps to Wellbeing has been proven to improve mental health and wellbeing (https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/self-help/guides-tools-and-activities/five-steps-to-mental-wellbeing/).

Encourage them to keep active, connect with friends or family via text or calls, learn something new, do something kind for a neighbour or loved one and practise mindfulness to help relax them if they are having trouble falling to sleep try https://www.headspace.com/meditation/kids for meditation videos.

If your young child is feeling worried or anxious, reading therapy books can share positive messages and get them talking.

Try books such as The Huge Bag of Worries by Virginia Ironside which shows how confiding in a friend about our worries can help us feel better or Hey Warrior by Karen Young which talks about a child’s experience in overcoming anxiety.

For more therapy books, techniques and activities visit: https://positivepsychology.com/child-therapy/

Increasing a child’s resilience is key to overcoming adversity as it calms their ‘fight or flight’ and ‘freeze’ response, effectively reducing their adrenaline and cortisol levels – elevated levels can increase a child’s chances of developing psychological or physiological conditions in the short/long-term and even compromises their immune system. Visit heysigmund.com/building-resilience-children/ for some useful tips on how to build this essential skill.

Try to incorporate more together time as a family by playing board games, organising family mealtimes, family walks. These help to establish a sense of togetherness, unity and sense of belonging which builds secure attachments a strong ally in these challenging times.

When the world feels wobbly, we all need something to cling on to and these strategies are designed to help create secure and stable foundations for us all, no matter how long the storm lasts.