06.10.20 COVID-19 Briefing Live Stream Transcript

The County of Santa Clara
June 10, 2020
Live Stream - Daily Briefing
10pm PT

Lidia Bueno: Good morning and welcome to Facebook live. My name is Lidia Bueno, I am a Healthcare Program Manager with the Behavioral Health Services Department. Before we begin. I must inform you that we just removed our face masks in order to allow the American sign language interpreter to read our lips and to interpret. Also, we'd like to bring you up to the COVID-19 situation. There have been a total of 3,017 confirmed cases. A total uh number of deaths of 146, with one new death. Our hopes and wishes go out to those struggling with the COVID-19 situation. Moving on to the topic of our segment today, which is the road to resiliency for children, teens, and families. With schools closing, that the summer here, and us being in the middle of a pandemic. Joining us here today are two occupational therapists, Laura Seidel and Farina Ahmed. Welcome! So, let's get started with our first question. Farina, how can any occupational therapists contribute to activities that support the well-being of children and families during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Farina Ahmed: Thanks Lidia! That is a great question. Well, Occupational Therapists generally believe that engaging in a balance of life activities is fundamental to well-being and happiness. When I refer to life activities, I am referring to those broadly under the terms of self-care, leisure, and productivity. With the COVID-19 pandemic, children have been further isolated. And it has been an increased stress on caregivers with cancellation of schools, extracurricular activities, and social events. Occupational Therapists, are in key positions to help caregivers find ways to incorporate activities at home, that can help with the development and well-being of their children.

LB: Has definitely been difficult this time. What are some basic tips for all parents and caregivers during this time?
FA: My first tip for all caregivers is to be present, relationships are key in times of crisis. Children look to adults for comfort and security, so try to spend one-on-one time with their child each day. My second tip, is to take time for self-care. As a caregiver, if you want to care for others you should also consider taking care of yourself. And my third tip, is to establish a routine. I cannot stress the importance enough of creating a predictable schedule for your family. It is important to be flexible, but also consistent. At a minimum, include wake time, bedtime, and mate mealtimes. Include opportunities for leisure, and fun activities, and one-on-one time with your caregivers. This is also a good time to establish any rules, guidelines, or limits your family may have with screen time.

LB: Great! So, let's talk about those fun activities. Laura, what are some ways that we can engage children on outdoor and active play? Laura Seidel: Yeah Lidia, you know like Farina was saying. I think that building routines is so important for our kids. So, figuring out ways that we can include outdoor play throughout their daily routine. So, some ways that we can do that. as a whole family is to start a garden. Whether that is in containers or in our yard. Allowing our children to grow their own flowers and their own food can really get them excited about being outside. Another thing we can do, is incorporate family walks. Whether that is in nature or doing little scavenger walks, where we search for things for our younger kiddos. One thing we can do outside is build sensory boxes with them. Where we can use materials just like water, soap, sand, maybe even dirt. And allow them to play, get messy, and enjoy themselves outside. For our school-aged kiddos, we can do things like making up obstacle courses for them, or hiding objects around the yard, or outdoors so that they can go on a little scavenger hunt. And for our teenagers, we can engage them in activities like going on hikes. Maybe, doing some yoga, or engaging in things like dance, or Zumba, playing frisbee. Whatever is really motivating to them at their age.

LB: And I think with this going on as a parent, we are worried about the minute, minimal socialization. So, what are some ways that we can engage children, and activities that foster creativity, and that social-emotional learning?
Laura Seidel: Absolutely, so I think we can build in additional routines for family time together. So, some things we can do as a family include cooking or baking together. And all our kids at different ages can be involved in that process. And we can also play board games together. For our younger kiddos, they often, we can enjoy playing with play-doh or kinetics. And we can build with Legos and really encourage them to play dress-up. For our elementary school-aged kiddos, we can expand that imaginative play. And maybe encouraging them to engage in in creating their own characters, writing their own books, or their own little television shows. And for our teenagers or older kiddos there's lots of crafts activities. Whether it's learning to knit, or tying knots, or making bracelets, or necklaces, or other kinds of jewelry for their friends. There's lots of ways that we can allow them to be creative, and and still connect with their siblings or peers in a new way.

LB: And Farina, you and I have had several discussions on not being able to be with our children all the time. So, what are some ways that we can engage children in quiet independent activities?

FA: Right! So, encouraging your child to spend some time each day in quiet independent activities helpful. It gives caregivers a break. And it also gives some opportunity for your child to relax unwind from constant stimuli throughout the day. So, it's specific activities you can have your child engage in, include listening to music, taking about drawing coloring, doing a puzzle. You can have your child start to journal. They can talk about their day, how they feel. Or for younger kids give them a fun prompt. Such as, if you could go anywhere in the world where would you go? Involve your child in the household routine by giving them age-appropriate chores to complete, such as making their bed or putting away dishes. Implement a reward chart and have your child be able to choose a reward. You can also ask your child to write letters to family members, or to friends, and ask that they write back. And lastly, mindfulness activities are great tools you can incorporate into your child's schedule. Even two to three minutes a day can improve your child's concentration skills, attention, and their ability to really recognize how they feel, and regulate their emotions.

LB: We know that several of our families have children with different needs. So, Laura, do you have any tips for parents on how to support activity participation for children, based on their child's unique temperament or special needs?

LS: Yeah, absolutely. You know we all have different preferences for our environment. There are those of us that love spicy food and really enjoy going out to big crowded environments. And there are those of us who do our best with the opposite. And you know, children generally have less control over their environment. And they also tend to need more intense sensory experiences because their brains and bodies are still growing and developing. So, for children or teens that need a higher level of intensity in their daily life, we can offer them opportunities to really engage their body. So, activities that involve carrying heavy things or pushing pulling. So, maybe helping with laundry. Or help helping to carry in the groceries. Taking in and out the trash. Those kinds of things can really help. And we can also think about ways to incorporate repetitive movement, like jumping on a trampoline or spinning. We also want to give them opportunities to have a place to to relax and calm down. So, trying to find a calm corner for our kids, with some of their favorite soft things to touch, or playing their favorite music. Those can be ways to kind of give them a place to to relax. And for our children that maybe benefit from an environment with lower levels of stimulation. We want to be careful about providing guidance to them when there's going to be a transition, and giving them a really predictable schedule. And also offering them space where they can take a break. Maybe wearing headphones or having their own quiet time for a little bit can really be helpful.

LB: So, as I said we're in the middle of this pandemic. Summer's here, schools are closing. What resources are available to families who feel that their children need more support for their well-being during this time?

LS: Absolutely! We know that this is a stressful time for all of us. And children are going to have their own responses to the stress. And oftentimes with children, we see that their behavior is their way of communicating. So, if you notice really significant changes in your child's eating, sleeping patterns, their mood, or you're really noticing that they're having difficulty engaging in activities that they used to enjoy. Maybe, because they're feeling worried or not interested. We would really encourage you to reach out for support. You can talk with your child's pediatrician about your concerns. We also would recommend that you reach out and talk to the Santa Clara county resource and referral line. You can dial you to the resource and referral line. You can also reach out to the Santa Clara County behavioral health services department at www.sccbhsd.org.

LB: Thank You Lauren, Farina, for your expertise and knowledge in this area. And thank you all who are watching this. For the latest information on COVID-19 please visit the county's COVID-19 website at WWW.SCCGOV.ORG/CORONAVIRUS. Thank you for watching, and please continue to shelter in place and practice social distancing. distancing