How Parents Can Help Their Children During the Pandemic

 What parents can do is educate their children on COVID-19, such as the importance of social distancing (standing 6 feet apart) as well as to provide proper equipment such as masks, hand sanitizer and gloves. Parent's can also educate their children on the importance of mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. As well as help their children stay physically active and ensure they are getting proper nutrition. Additionally, if children have symptoms of COVID-19, it is best to get them tested for COVID-19. If living in Ontario, to find which COVID-19 center is near you, go to the website:

 https://covid-19.ontario.ca/assessment-centre-locations

At this website you can find the assessment center locations near you and book an appointment with them to get tested. 

Additionally, it is important that children know the appropriate mental health call centers to contact.

Call Centers for Mental Health include:

Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 (toll-free) or text CONNECT to 686868  

Available 24 hours a day to Canadians aged 5 to 29 who want confidential and anonymous care from professional counsellors.

Hope for Wellness Help Line: Call 1-855-242-3310 (toll-free) 
Available to all Indigenous peoples across Canada who need immediate crisis intervention.

Mental Health T.O: 1-866-585-6486
Connecting infants, children, youth and families to mental health services in Toronto communities.


Good2Talk Ontario: 1-866-925-5454 Text GOOD2TALKON to 686868



Good2Talk Nova Scotia: 1-833-292-3698 Text GOOD2TALKNS to 686868

Good2Talk provides confidential support services for post-secondary students in Ontario and Nova Scotia. 

If you or your child is in immediate danger, please call 911 or go to your local emergency department.


If worried about child having symptoms for COVID-19, do not hesitate to get them tested.

Symptoms for COVID-19 include:
 
Most common symptoms:

fever

dry cough

tiredness

Less common symptoms:

aches and pains

sore throat

diarrhea

conjunctivitis

headache

loss of taste or smell

a rash on skin, or discoloration of fingers or toes

Serious symptoms:

difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

chest pain or pressure

loss of speech or movement 


                                                                             References:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, October 5). Scientific Brief: SARS-CoV-2 

and Potential Airborne Transmission. Retrieved November 18, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/more/scientific-brief-sars-cov-2.html           

Mechili, E. A., Saliaj, A., Kamberi, F., Girvalaki, C., Peto, E., Patelarou, A. E., . . . Patelarou, E. 

(2020). Is the mental health of young students and their family members affected during 

the quarantine period? evidence from the COVID‐19 pandemic in albania. Journal of 

Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, doi:10.1111/jpm.12672

Thakur, A. (2020). Mental health in high school students at the time of COVID-19: A Student’s 

perspective. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2020.08.005

   

World Health Organization. (2020, October 12). Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Retrieved 

From

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/question-and-answers-hub/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses