[LISTEN] How to manage your anxiety around the reopening of schools

Eusebius McKaiser speaks to clinical psychologist Ruth Ancer on how children could feel empowered.

Clinical psychologist Ruth Ancer says the uncertainty around schools reopening and how this will play out may cause some anxiety for parents and children.

How can parents manage their feelings as well as that of their children?

Ancer says the first step would be to find out more about your school's readiness and to go through the guidelines with your child so that they feel empowered.

Even though we don't know everything, there is stuff that we do know so instead of coming from a position of just complete anxiety and uncertainty, we need to look at has come out in terms of children and the fact that there are certain things that will make it safer for them...

Ruth Ancer, Clinical psychologist

We do need to look at what is being said by the medical professionals to just get a more realistic perspective, rather than just feeling so out of control in terms of our own anxiety for our children's safety and that will help you be able to communicate with your children in terms of this is what we know and this is what we need to do....

Ruth Ancer, Clinical psychologist

Parents need to look at their own anxiety because children pick up from us....we need to be guided by what we do know and we need to communicate that in a calm and safe way.

Ruth Ancer, Clinical psychologist

Ancer says anxiety is normal, the problem is when it becomes overwhelming and cannot be managed.

If this is the case, Ancer suggests that you reach out to a helpline for starters.

There are a lot of resources at the moment, helplines that are for free that are offering support for people and can get them in touch with professionals if necessary... such as the South African Depression and Anxiety Group.

Ruth Ancer, Clinical psychologist

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