Stress Management

Charlynn Small is a clinical psychologist with nearly two decades of experience counseling students. She can discuss how daily life can trigger stress and what students and parents both can do to help manage it.

Small provides the following tips:

"While current events can be difficult to explain, parents and caregivers can help reduce children's stress by responding to their questions. Even the youngest children should be provided with honest, age-appropriate questions."

"Better coping ability and resiliency will develop when children have a greater sense of control. Encourage them to manage the important things they can control such as maintaining six feet of physical distance from others, washing their hands frequently, covering coughs and sneezes, etc."

"Children also cope better with change and challenging situations when their time is structured. Children feel safer with a consistent routine because events are more predictable."

"Allow children the opportunity to express their feelings about disturbing current events. Encourage them to share any concerns about the ways your family may have been affected directly or indirectly."

Contact urnews2use@richmond.edu to connect with Small.