Why it’s important to talk to your kids about feelings during Covid-19
We at Chalk and Chakras are big fans of Brighter Fun Animal Chat, a card game to help kids share more how they feel.
It’s developed by an educator Brad and his illustrator wife, Betsy, who believe that kids should learn emotional vocabulary and connect with their feelings for their well-being.
Brad and Betsy with their kids and their labour of love for families to connect with their emotions.
Betsy and Brad have kindly shared their experience and advice with us about the importance of talking about feelings, and how it could help especially during stressful, anxious times like the current pandemic we’re in.
Brighter Fun was conceptualised as a fun, interactive way to talk to kids about feelings. Why is it important to learn emotional intelligence even from a young age?
When kids learn about feelings and emotions from a young age they increase their empathy - both for others as well as for themselves. As far as talking about and learning to identify various emotions, the stronger emotional vocabulary children develop, the more feelings they can feel. This leads to a richer, more connected life.
What has been the feedback that you hear from parents and kids since starting Brighter Fun a year ago?
Parents really want more accessible tools and resources they can use quickly in the moment. Kids want to talk about their feelings, which is one reason they love Animal Chat. They also want more time together with the adults closest to them.
With the current Covid-19 situation, the world seems like a scarier place. Naturally, different kids might react differently. Some might be indifferent or happy to be away from school, while others are more anxious about the change. What are the feelings you're seeing in your kids?
Recognizing the privileges we have as two parents who are able to work out of our home right now, and that we don't face all the myriad challenges such as homelessness, food scarcity, or job security, we nonetheless see a shift in feelings from our kids. Both feel unsettled by the sudden change in routine. Both feel afraid of the virus. Also, both feel happy to see more of mom and dad. It's really a roller coaster.
As Brad is a Co-Director of an elementary school, he has children diagnosed with the virus, others whose parents have lost employment, and families facing challenges of food scarcity. Some of these larger traumatic events have lasting impressions on children's feelings. It’s important to support all kids through this situation.
Frustrated and anxious? Or Grateful and Brave? It’s OK to feel all these while being in lockdown mode due to the Coronavirus outbreak.
What's your advice to parents on managing stress during these times and how not to pass on their own anxieties?
Parents can support kids through transparency of feelings. When you feel anxious about something, it is definitely OK to share that with your kids. Of course, one of our first instincts is to present only our "good sides" to our kids. That approach is not complete because kids see right through it! They know when something is up and they would love to learn more. You can also model how it is OK to feel the whole range of feelings. When you talk through it with your kids, you can also share what brings you hope and how you might help others with similar feelings.
How can we also share and spread positive feelings currently?
Serving others is a great way to spread positivity and help yourself feel better at the same time. With social distancing, this is a bit tricky, but there are lots of creative ways to serve! Write someone a letter, draw them a picture, give them a phone call, or plant a flower in their honour. Make a donation to your local healthcare centers or food banks. Every little bit helps.
Always nice to do something for others to feel more positive and spread hope even during dark days.
Lastly, in these days of social isolation, what is your idea of having some Brighter Fun at home?
Our best advice is to create some sort of daily routine, as best as possible. Carve out time for creativity, free play, or other releases. We also recommend talking about your feelings over a meal. Perfect time to discuss the whole range of your day - the best parts, worst, and everywhere in between. You can also use Animal Chat — it’s a really easy way for parents to just lay out a bunch of emotions, then ask their kids to pick a few they relate to. From that point, it's simple to have a discussion about why kids chose the cards they did, who they know that feels similarly, or what other emotions they might potentially like to feel.
Get your very own Brighter Fun’s Animal Chat Card Game here.