Children and the Pandemic: Will the Kids Be All Right?

Psychologist Jamie Howard, who directs the Child Mind Institute’s Trauma and Resilience Program, says that while most children won’t experience trauma from the visible worries and fears of the adults around them, parents may see changes in their social emotional development. “When kids are stressed out, especially young kids, they tend to regress. So they engage in behaviors that they had outgrown. So they might start sucking their thumb, throwing more temper tantrums, having a hard time separating at bedtime. And that kind of behavior means they’re anxious or unhappy about something because the pattern has changed. The routine has changed,” said Howard.