Two months ago when the “stay at home order” arrived, everyone’s lives drastically changed. For children, who may not have learned coping mechanisms yet to deal with their lives being uprooted, it is important to know how to help them, especially if they show signs of depression. Children may be experiencing increased anxiety, resulting from dealing with uncertainties, fear, stress, and the loss of routine and the familiar due to new regulations around Covid-19. This stress has compounded due to current events in the news around race. This increase in anxiety and stress might be expressed as anger, which can be a difficult emotion to navigate for both the child experiencing it and the caregivers trying to support them.

Why Kids Are Angrier Right Now, And What Parents Can Do About It is a helpful article for families, educators, and caregivers, outlining basic strategies for how to support children. Another helpful resource, specifically discussing depression in children, is the New York Times article, 4 Ways to help if your Kid is Depressed. It identifies basic ways to ease the quarantine blues and helps identify the signs of clinical depression, which requires professional help.