COVID-19 has changed just about everything in our lives, and yet, our children continue to grow, learn and build the architecture of their brain during this time. For the next few weeks, the Brain Health Initiative will offer resources and activities that focus on ways to support the healthy brain development of your child. In part one, we introduce, with resources from Brain Health Initiative colleagues, Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, why this support is essential.

Why is Attention to Brain Development Important During COVID-19?

While it’s true that the coronavirus outbreak has changed our daily lives, you can rest assured that our children are still learning, growing, and developing. Everyone in the family can help support the healthy brain development of a child, you may even find it helps relieve some of your own stress.

COVID-19 impacts the stress levels in both children and the adults who care for them and there are some simple techniques that can help ensure that you and your child don’t experience long-term effects of stress.

Based on the work of Center on the Developing Child at Harvard, information and resources will be shared over the next few weeks looking at the importance of paying attention to brain development including development of executive functioning and social regulation skills, interaction, social connections and taking a break:

Executive functioning (EF) and social regulation skills (SR) 
Interaction: Practicing back-and-forth interaction with your child.
Social Connections: Connecting socially in the era of social distancing.
Take a Break: Giving your stress response a rest.

What can you do to protect your brain?

Safer-at-home means most children are at home as they can’t go to school or childcare, and some adults are not able to work, thus losing income. These situations create challenges and often increase stress in the family. This infographic explains the basics of what COVID-19 is and what it can mean for stress levels in both children and the adults who care for them. It also offers some brain healthy, easy and concrete solutions to help ensure that both caregivers and the children they care for don’t experience long-term effects of stress. Finally, it explains how all of us can work together to ensure the brain health and well-being of all our fellow community members, young and old, both now and in the future.