Brenda Jones Harden, the Alison Richman professor of children and families at the University of Maryland School of Social Work, said "normal" is different for every child. Parents should be concerned if their child appears more sad, hopeless or angry.
Nat Kendall-Taylor, a senior fellow at the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, said people typically think of adversity in two ways: Either kids are unbreakable ā impossibly resilient ā or adverse experiences damage them beyond repair.
There are different classes of stress, he says, and outcomes depend on the kind of stress a child is experiencing.
A Pew Research Center survey this summer found more than 71% of parents in the U.S. with children under 12 were concerned their child was spending too much time in front of a screen.
A caregiver's well-being is directly tied to their child's. Experts underscore a child's best buffer during the pandemic is a supportive parent.
Stressed parents can be distant and distracted, but children need emotional and physical closeness. Communication is key.
Experts say that unless a child is experiencing toxic stress, they probably will recover well and may build resiliency that will serve them in the long run.
Quality matters more than quantity, experts say. Even if you can't give your child all the attention they crave, showing you are still present and available for important things can go a long way.
That depends on a few variables. In-person school is optimal, but children who have supportive caregivers at home and access to technology will likely fare well.
Check in, Harden said. Children need space to open up. Put away the screens, put away the distractions, and talk to your child.