A New Omicron Surge? How Parents Can Cope

By Dr. Seku Gathers

Dr. Seku Gathers is the founder of ConnectMD as well as a concierge physician, entrepreneur, podcaster, teacher on Insight Timer, mindset coach, life strategist, and award-winning filmmaker and author of the book Total Body Wellness: The Truth About Your Health, which share his wellness approach and explores the mind-body connection.

A new Omicron variant is spreading across the US. I know this because my daughter just caught it at school. Last week, we are all locked up in the house self-isolating together. In other words, rumors of the pandemic’s end seem to have been greatly exaggerated. This spring and summer will be a stressful time for parents of young children, especially if they are too young to get vaccinated. Covid has become a never-ending cycle of anxiety and worry as cases decline, only to spike again. It’s no wonder many parents are beginning to feel like managing their family’s wellness is a never-ending battle.

Sometimes, worrying about our kids often causes us more anxiety than worrying about our own health. The first waves of the pandemic left many people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), though this was never considered an official symptom of the virus.

More recently, experts have been discussing the mental health consequences of the pandemic, especially in regard to younger children. Don’t be afraid to recognize trauma and anxiety. Are you hypervigilant, or are you calm? Recognizing where your mindset is at is the first step in managing anxiety. Here are a few tips to help any parent deal with Covid and the stress that comes with it.

1. Know the Facts

First and foremost, the good news is that most kids and babies who contact Covid do not get severely sick, even if they’re unvaccinated. Most have mild symptoms, and some don’t show any symptoms at all. Research has also shown that the Omicron variants are less severe for children and adults than the first versions we witnessed, such as Delta and Delta-plus. Thankfully, as the majority of us build up immunity from exposure, we will likely see less-severe cases in the future. Covid can be dangerous and should be taken seriously, but the evidence suggests that your children will be able to fight it off without medical attention. This should help put your mind at ease.

2. How to Limit Exposure

If you and your children are eligible to receive the vaccine, you should do so as soon as possible. The vaccine is your best bet against severe infection from Covid, preventing severe infection by 95% in most cases. If you are not able to get the vaccine or do not wish to do so, then make sure that you wear an N95 mask, avoid staying indoors in public places for long periods of time, and wash your hands frequently. If your children are over two years old, have them wear a mask, as well. A lot of kids are not used to wearing masks, so you can start in small intervals. Try wearing the mask for a few minutes each day and increase the interval times little by little. You can also try making masking fun! My wife bought a bunch of tye-dyed colored N95 masks and stickers. We made it a family activity by decorating our very own masks.

As mask mandates are lifted across the country, it can be difficult if you have older children who don’t want to wear one because their friends may not have to. A good response to this is, “Well, their parents are doing what they think is best for them, and we’re doing what we think is best for you.” Make them aware of possible downsides of catching Covid, but keep it age-appropriate. Perhaps try telling them, “If you catch Covid, we’ll all have to isolate and you may miss out hanging with your friends or going to that birthday party.” Put things into perspective for them in a simple way that they will be able to understand.

Oftentimes, the hardest part about Covid is everyone playing by their own rules. What some people are comfortable with, others are not. This can get tricky when it comes to family gatherings. First, know your boundaries and stick to them. Aim to do outdoor activities, if at all possible. If the family wants to come over to your home and you have a strict masking policy, make sure that is known. If you went to someone’s house and they don’t smoke, would you light a cigarette in their living room? Probably not. The same can be said for boundaries related to Covid.

3. Having the Right Mindset to Avoid Anxiety and Stress

One of the first things I tell my clients who are dealing with anxiety is to unplug — reduce the amount of news they consume. Aim to watch 30 to 60 minutes of news each week, but no more than that. Sometimes, the news focuses on the “could happen” or “would happen,” and not the “is happening.” Focus on facts and create responses to facts only. If a new Omicron wave is here, ensure your family has a plan. You can’t have a plan for each future wave because we simply don’t know what’s going to happen.

In general, even beyond Covid, being cognizant of your mind and how you’re feeling is important. General healthy mindset techniques will help you be a better parent. Take a few minutes to do some yoga, go for a walk, write in a gratitude journal, or meditate for five minutes. It’s like the oxygen mask rule on the airplane: put yours on first, then take care of your kids. You don’t have to change how you feel, you just have to know how you feel, and be cognitive of how to communicate about our ever-changing world with your children.