Parental Guide: How to reduce anxiety during difficult times

The renewal of the ongoing war with Iran and the sudden alerts, starting with the irritating Alert sound on mobile phones, have returned to disrupt the daily routines of many families across Israel.

For children and teenagers who must cope mentally with a third campaign of fighting in Iran within a single year, this is a period of shifting and unpredictable moods. The persistent fear is transformed into anxiety about the unknown, fueled by frequent reports on screens and mobile devices.

Children are not a filter, and they absorb everything even if their mobile devices are managed remotely through a parental control application. They pick up on the stress of adults, the worried looks directed at screens, and the uncontrollable changes in the normal household atmosphere. Children, who are especially sensitive to changes in their fixed daily schedules, can develop and intensify suppressed feelings of anger and emotional outbursts. Alternatively, they may display a phenomenon known professionally as "Conscious helplessness", which manifests both at home and on social networks as apathy and emotional detachment.

Full-Time Parenting in Routine and Emergency

Contrary to absurd methods for treating anxiety seen in exaggerated comedy movies, shouting and threatening with punishments will not help in reality, and there is no magic medicine available except for a smart television and an updated gaming console. However, even these devices can unfortunately become a poison pill when children take over the screens and parents lose their patience.

Experts from "the Schneider Children's Medical Center" emphasize that a child's response depends heavily on the way the adults around them conduct themselves.

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These are their main recommendations for an emergency situation that no one knows when it will end :

Maintain a Calm Family Atmosphere: When a parent projects responsibility, control, and composure, most children will respond in the same way and adopt the sense of security broadcast by parents who are truly authoritative and calm.
Provide Space for Complex Emotions: When a child says "I am sick of the sirens" or "I'm going crazy",do not silence or correct them. Clean listening without judgment allows the child, and even more to A teenager to release the mounting internal tension.
Create a Routine Within the Uncertainty: Maintain a fixed daily schedule as much as possible inside the house or the protected space, including regular times for meals, sleep, and enjoyable shared activities Such as cooking, painting and family games.
Filter the Screens: Significantly limit the exposure of young children to news broadcasts and videos on social networks, which intensify anxiety and in most cases also distort reality.
Practice Practical Tools: Explain and preferably demonstrate simple relaxation techniques yourself, such as breathing exercises or training in a mental-psychological skill like "mindfulness". For parents who wish to renew their youth as youth counselors, it is recommended to prepare daily activities that include games and light physical activity within the home space. Tasty treats with funny notes are also welcome as a comforting distraction from the stressful situation.

Preparing for Tense Days: When to Seek Professional Help

The current situational assessment in the Isreli media indicates that the emergency situation in Iran may continue for several days.

parents are advised to remain as available as possible for open conversations with their children, and to notice extreme changes in their behavior.

From unfortunate past experience, children who have experienced significant trauma in their past may react with exaggeration to complex situations.

In extreme cases where parents agree that their child feels deep distress, it is advisable to consult the online mental health services, which have been reinforced with available volunteers experienced in providing a human response to various emergency situations.

If the children is mature enough in age and intellect, it is recommended to involve them in the counseling process and pass through this challenging period together in domestic peace.