LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Omicron surge has had some Arkansas kids in and out of the classroom over the past few weeks. The uncertainty will likely continue for a while and that can be hard on the entire family.
Joe Yoder, a father and clinical therapist, knows that firsthand. The current situation in Arkansas has brought with it a sense of deja vu in his personal and professional life.
Yoder asked his young daughter how she felt while attending school virtually last week.
“She said ‘annoying and frustrated,’” he said. “Because they want to see their friends. They want to get back into routines. They want to get back to soccer teams and organizations, and they can't. It's just hard for a kid right now. It's hard for everyone.
Yoder, who works at Behavioral Health Services of Arkansas, sees one common thing among his clients of all ages: “a lot of stress.”
As families work to manage that, he suggests starting with self-care.
“Doing stuff outside of just learning and outside of just conversations of COVID and news of COVID,” he said. “Doing things that actually kind of reenergize you: playing music or drawing or whatever that may be.”
Additionally, he believes “How are you doing?” is a simple question that can lead to an important conversation.
“Check in with your kids, ‘are you doing okay?’” he said. “If you notice them getting stressed about something that maybe typically they wouldn't be, maybe it's because they are stressed, and they don't really know how to communicate that to you.”
According to Yoder, that type of communication is also important among adults as they balance working, helping their kids with school, and all the information about COVID that can become overwhelming.
“The news changes so quickly, as far as what and how COVID is catalyzing our lives, so it's important to, as we do that check-in with every single person,” he said.
If there's one thing that's encouraging for Yoder, it's the number of people asking for help. He says Behavioral Health Services of Arkansas has been flooded with people who want to work through their challenges. And he says that's especially important given the issues that can come with isolation.