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Trains now on Uber. T's and C's apply check the Uber app. This is Scientific American 60 Second Science. I'm Suzanne Bard.

Stay-at-home orders due to COVID-19 have been in place for several months now.

For many parents, these requirements have led to a balancing act between working from home

and attending to their children. Families have been forced to adapt to unexpected disruptions in their daily routines,

and kids have been isolated from their peers,

all of which can affect their psychological well-being. I think even though everyone is having some

experience of loss and grief over not getting to do the things they're used to doing,

we're going to see a lot of individual differences in how kids react.

University of Washington psychologist Lilliana Lengua.

She says a child's temperament has a big influence on how they respond to stressful events.

Kids who are already prone to being fearful or anxious might be especially anxious

about getting sick or about family members getting sick.

Very sociable kids may struggle more with social isolation than others do, and kids who are easily

frustrated may become even more so. But despite these differences, Lenga says parents can help their

kids cope by validating their feelings.

Validating really means hearing, listening, recognizing what the source of that person's emotional experience is, and recognizing the truth of it.

It's also important to check in with kids about the very real fears they face.

Inviting children to talk openly and sometimes showing our own vulnerability can be helpful in facilitating that conversation.

For teens, being cut off from friends can be especially challenging.

And I think all parents can do at that point is validate their youth. This is awful. This is hard. I know this is really a loss for you and just recognize those feelings and not dismiss them.

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