The pandemic has been tough on families and
the youth have made sacrifices as well.
In fact, if you can imagine growing up
during the pandemic schools and social
interaction, it's just not the same.
So how do you help your child
or teenager prepare for a world
that is getting back to normal?
I spoke to psychotherapist Doctor
Victor or Victor Kid for some advice.
Doctor Kidd, thank you for joining us.
It's so hard to know what the next
generation is facing just from all
the technology they're surrounded by.
But now we've thrown in this pandemic 2.
How do you even start to relate to somebody,
a teenager and what they're
going through right now?
Well, I think the the big thing
that I'm seeing in private prices.
Just overall when we're
dealing with with youth,
but it's really being open
with them and also embracing.
Helping them embrace that autonomy with
decision making and things that are nature.
So coming out of a pandemic where
you lose a lot of control right
where you lose the ability to go.
Do things that you you know once did.
I think now is important to you know.
Empower youth to lean into their own decision
making about how they want to kind of trance.
You know, transition back into.
Kind of close as we've gotten so far
pre pandemic life and so it's it's
really about listening to them and
also empowering them in their autonomy.
You know,
a lot of times as parents or as as shepherds.
We want to kind of appropriate and
control you frightened natly, right?
Because you you know you're in a position
of power and you want to help Shepherd,
and it's still whatever
morals we want into a child,
but I think we're at a different point now.
In the 21st century,
with today's adolescent or young
emerging adult, it's really,
really different and very complex and a
lot more advanced than what we wanna.
We want to really give life too.
So really,
listening to them seeing what they
want and how do we support them and
bear witness to their trajectory and
how they move forward through life.
So
we saw so much controversy
through the mask mandates.
Especially, we've been talking
about it a lot in Virginia and
and how it plays into schools.
And you felt like it was
just the parents at first.
And then it's like, oh wait,
how do the children? Deal,
or the teenagers feel something like that.
Something pandemic related that
maybe we're moving on from.
How do you help them like work through
this when it's chaos around them
right? And The thing is unified
messaging in the household,
so you know set you know really set
the standard in the household and
how we're going to move forward.
Or we're going to wear masks
in certain environments.
Are we going to wear mask?
You know? Still at school?
You know, taking in consideration this
that's wearing a mask in school or
wearing a mask in certain environments?
Impact their social engagement.
You know I talked to a buddy of mine,
but I used to work with and she told me.
She said Vic, you know honestly?
Case I grew up over the last two years.
I'm gonna have some real serious social,
emotional learning challenges or
social emotional challenges overall,
because they have not been in a natural
environment where you develop those
skills in regards to the school,
the school setting,
or the home setting in its natural state,
or being in the community.
So I think having a good stance on
what are the four or five rules that
we're going to kind of follow as we
kind of still navigate the pandemic,
but also understand that you know,
you know, vaccines have gotten more advanced.
Science has got more advanced.
We are starting to really get a good
protocol on how we move through with
through this being a part of our lives,
right?
You know,
as we think about different
variants and things like that,
I don't think we're out of the gate
in regards to variance, you know.
So making sure that we set four
or five rules that are really
good within the household,
and I think the best practices
for me that I like to tell family
units when I'm working with you.
Though working with young young
emerging adults just be patient, right?
So be patient with.
Of the youth right in regards to their
ability to kind of transition back
into society back into pre pandemic
living because when we originally,
you know,
the pandemic originally happens this
assumption that everybody could just
transition and everything would be seamless.
So we want to kind of walk people
back into that ease back into
life with with requirements right?
That will be loosened, right?
So kind of tear those requirements.
So hey, we're going to wear masks on,
you know this this particular day
or in this particular environment.
You won't have to wear masks
up until this point start.
Just going back into ease and then
don't turn the faucet straight
on because it could be kind of
traumatic with the transition
Doctor kid. Thank you for all of the advice.
All the suggestions I know it is going to
be just a long road for a lot of people,
but at least if we listen to each other,
it could help. Thank you so much
for joining us today, alright?