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As young ones -- in Oakville and across the re- gion -- struggle to make sense of it all, the adults they rely on for support may be immersed in their own feelings of anxiety and frustration. To illustrate the poten- tial impact of the pandemic on a family's mental health and well-being, the Halton District School Board re- cently held a virtual infor- mation session for parents of elementary students. "We know parents are struggling to balance work, child care, self-care while keeping worries, both yours and your chil- dren's under control. Young children may be oblivious to the facts of the situation, but they may still feel unsettled by the changes in the routine, or they may pick up on the fact that people around them are worried and up- set," said Noorie Soni, mother of two and a panel- ist for the event. Strict COVID protocols have created lots of chang- es to kids' daily routines, said board social worker Kim Menezes-Francispil- lai. "Children may be expe- riencing a sense of loss and isolation with virtual learning, and sometimes perhaps struggling with changing family circum- stances, maybe family health or a job loss." Start by listening to your child as they describe their thoughts and emo- tions. They will tell you how they feel. Help your child to look for positives, things to be grateful for, she added. "Mental distress can be recognized as a struggle whenever we or someone we know experiences nega- tive thoughts, feelings and behaviours that become in- tense and long lasting -- anything longer than two weeks -- or if it interferes with their ability to func- tion and meet daily goals," said Menezes-Francispil- lai. If you feel your child may be anxious or stressed, the first step is to go to your child's teacher, said Menez- es-Francispillai. Addition- al supports include the spe- cial education resource teacher (SERT) available at every elementary school, the school principal or vice-principal, a child or youth counsellor, the school social worker, or reach out to community supports such as Reach Out Centre for Kids (ROCK) or Kids Help Phone. The board also offers on- line resources through hdsb.ca, she said. There are also publicly funded mental health sup- ports in the community at ROCK to support you and your young ones, said Shi- vani Patel, ROCK's access and system navigation lead. Live Answer allows fam- ilies and service providers to connect with ROCK's vir- tual walk-in clinic, crisis support, services for chil- dren under 6, and general information and resources, said Patel. Live Answer 289-266- 0036 is available between Monday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ROCK also offers Quinn, a virtual chat bot, available through its website rockon- line.ca which also supports access to services. Quinn is available Monday to Fri- day, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. "It's a neat way for youth who have a hard time mak- ing calls for them to be able to chat with ROCK staff over this feature," said Patel. ROCK also has a dedicat- ed crisis service with a 24-7 crisis line 905-878-9785 for youth up to 18 and their par- ents and caregivers. Triggers and issues are that much more exacerbat- ed and complicated be- cause everyone's sharing a space at home and are iso- lating," said Nathan Pillai, director of programs at Bayridge Counselling Cen- tre. "When things start to look complicated, when things start to appear diffi- cult, reach out for help, reach out early on, don't be afraid, don't be shy, don't get caught up in the stigma of mental health. We're in a very difficult time in soci- ety now where we should be asking for help early on just so we can get ahead of the curve, in a sense," said Pillai. "I encourage parents to reach out to their commu- nity, to reach out to each other, know that you're not alone and let's all shoulder this together because the support is out there," added Patel. STORY BEHIND THE STORY: Parents may not realize the potential men- tal toll the pandemic is taking, not only on them but their children. In our ongoing effort to shed a light on this issue, we sat in on the Halton District School Board's virtual information session for parents of elementary school children to high- light how COVID may be impacting the family and offer some coping strate- gies. NEWS Continued from page 1 SUPPORT SERVICES AVAILABLE FOR FAMILIES IN NEED Virtual schooling and a lack of regular socializing is leaving children susceptible to stress and anxiety. Melanie Hennessey/Metroland "I encourage parents to reach out to their community, to reach out to each other, know that you're not alone and let's all shoulder this together because the support is out there," - Nathan Pillai, director of programs at Bayridge Counselling Centre