Dr. C’s Blog
3/21/2020
Coronavirus and No School
There is truth in what you are feeling; acknowledge this truth. The Coronavirus is scary, and these are times we have never faced before. As young people who find their schools indefinitely shut down, it must seem like a forever snow day. But it’s not.
You might be scared that your parents will get sick if they work in a hospital, or as a police officer, or any level of frontline first responder. You might be afraid your grandparents could become ill. You probably imagine that you might get ill as well. You might feel stressed and a lot of pressure building up inside. You might have difficulty sleeping and begin to worry about many things. Capture your concerns, lingering questions, and fears ……. Just write. Or for those more inclined to speak, capture your thoughts in audio.
This is the time to get the real facts. Time to research. Be a true scientist, looking for accurate information, not opinion. Do not believe everything you hear on the news or on social media. Find out for yourself. Be an advocate for uncovering and sharing the truth and use that to empower yourselves and your friends when you have accurate data. For starters, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is worthy of your attention: https://www.cdc.gov/
Don’t overwhelm yourself. Start slowly and simply. Look at information that addresses your concerns and fears. Read it twice … a third time. Pause, digest the material, compare your findings to what you are hearing elsewhere. Share with your friends, your parents, and even reputable blogs … engage the dialogue. Keep a journal of ideas that you can return to for support.
Again, these are unprecedented times (i.e., never happened before) for students across all grade levels -including college. Think about it a little. What are some of the consequences to your own life because you cannot go to school? Write down as many things that are different for you since you cannot go to school and rate them on a scale of 1 – 3 on the impact it is having on you. For example, you may not be able to socialize with friends; you may be prevented from going to malls, parks, playgrounds. 1) Tolerable; 2) It’s not fair; 3) Can’t stand it. Whatever it is that impacts you personally is worth listing and evaluating.
Typically, kids and adolescents are researchers because of their inherent curiosity. They are always asking why, what, when, where, and how. To be sure, adults are doing the same thing right now, but often overlook the opinions of the young. I want to hear from kids, and I welcome hearing from parents as well. Share some of your struggles and some of your strategies that are working in your household -right here in this blog.
This blog is my attempt to capture your voice, your feelings, your thoughts as a means of opening up a community dialogue through an electronic format. For those who prefer a more confidential communication, please respond to me, Dr. C. at the following email address:
Dr.Chiaradonna@hsseducation.com
