Adolescence is an especially vulnerable time under the best of circumstances and the pandemic of coronavirus may be more than the adolescent can handle. Self-doubt, prioritizing social connections, forging a separate identity from parents are all more difficult when confined under a quarantine apart from their peers.
Signs of distress include:
- Reckless behaviors
- Isolating from family
- Substance abuse
- Abusing social media
Make sure you:
- Initiate emotional “check-ins” daily; how are you feeling, what’s on your mind
- Allow your teen to have private time
- Encourage healthy use of social media
- Encourage alternative ways to socialize with peers