COVID-19 Resources For Your Family

By: Rose Alvarez-Salvat, PhD

The COVID-19 pandemic brought forth feelings of stress, sadness, worry and anxiety. Anxiety, in particular, has increased in the past year among children and adolescents due to changes in routine, schooling, social connections, time spent with extended family and future plans. Social opportunities that helped buffer children and teens from feelings related to anxiety and isolation have also been put on pause.

The first step in helping your child manage his or her anxiety is knowing what types of situations may trigger those anxious feelings.

By: Adita Lang

Parenting is hard enough. Now, let's combine being a single parent and a pandemic, and you’ll have more gray hairs on a daily basis. Granted, I have had my moments where a time-out, for me, is imperative. However, the blessings have surpassed the challenges.
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By: Rose Alvarez-Salvat, PhD

For months, we have learned new ways to protect ourselves and our children from COVID-19. We have learned guidelines for novel ways of socializing, we have worn our masks, compulsively cleaned our hands (and some of us – our groceries), stayed home, and learned how to complete our work virtually – all while taking on a new role as teachers to our children.
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By: Shifra Koyfman, MD

The COVID-19 pandemic has definitely changed the world that we know it in all aspects. Our worlds have been turned upside down in so many ways.
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By: Jenise Subervi

For a lot of us, summertime means relaxed schedules and routines. In our house, this means being less strict with bedtimes for both kids and parents! With school starting up soon, I know many of us are thinking about those early morning routines yet again, and wondering how we can get our kids back on track. For a lot of us, summertime means relaxed schedules and routines. In our house, this means being less strict with bedtimes for both kids and parents!
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By: Michelle Nunez-Mendoza

I remember almost every detail of my first day of high school. What I wore (no uniforms in public school back then), my first period French class and most of the kids in my class. I came from a relatively small private Catholic school, so entering a big public high school was a huge deal. My high school memories were (mostly) amazing, and I look back on those years fondly.
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By: Reshma Babra Naidoo, PhD

The global spread of COVID-19 has led to an increase in health and hygiene practices to reduce the risk of transmission. Children with cancer who have actively or recently received treatment have weakened immune systems that can increase the likelihood of contracting infections and developing associated health complications. 
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By: Reshma Babra Naidoo, PhD

As a parent or caregiver of a child with an intellectual disability during the recent COVID-19 pandemic, your family may be experiencing significant changes. You can help your child navigate these difficult times by taking into consideration 
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By: Vanessa Molina Santamaria

These days, most children are hooked on technology. With social distancing recommendations and shelter-in-place orders becoming our new normal, it’s a challenge to keep kids off electronics. They’re on Zoom video conferencing for virtual school, completing assignments on the web, playing with apps on their tablets, and TV has become a way to pass #quarantinelife.
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By: Luxme Hariharan, MD, MPH

We all have had to make several adjustments during this new era of COVID-19 restrictions and social distancing. One of the most significant and unique impacts on our children in particular has been the transition to virtual schooling and an increased use of computers and electronic devices. Children in South Florida, across the country and around the world have been attending school virtually for the past two months with no clear end in sight.
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By: Reshma Babra Naidoo, PhD

Children who have transitioned to the home-school or virtual-school setting may experience difficulties focusing. This can be especially true for a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Through structure, tailored behavior management plans, and reinforcement strategies, children with ADHD can thrive in this “new normal.”
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By: Vanessa Molina Santamaria

Prior to this global pandemic, I would have never imagined home schooling my two daughters, ages 6 and 8. I am an entrepreneur who is used to multitasking, but now I find myself in the unique situation of managing a business, a household and virtual school all while trying to keep my sanity — I’m sure many of you are in the same boat!
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By: Reshma Babra Naidoo, PhD

Coronavirus (COVID-19) has impacted all of our lives in varying ways, and families of children with autism spectrum disorder may have unique challenges in handling information about the virus and all the changes that come with it.
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By: Leyanee Perez, RDN/LDN

We all know the importance of washing our hands to stay healthy. But did you know that all fresh fruits and vegetables need to be washed just as thoroughly? Check out these steps that you can follow to ensure your fruits and veggies are fresh and ready to enjoy!
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By: Malvina Duncan

As the need for social distancing continues in our communities, many parents, myself included, want to keep our children happy, healthy and safe. To most kids, the current situation feels like freedom; they are physically out of school making it challenging to focus on schoolwork with all the distractions of being at home.

By: Diane Morales

Routines are an important part of everyday life, for children and adults alike. Routines make us feel safe, secure, and confident. During times like these when many children are unexpectedly home, it is especially important to keep a routine going to promote physical health and structure.
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By: Leyanee Perez, RDN/LDN

A healthy immune system is your family’s best weapon to fight the common cold or the flu season, and our job is to keep you ready. Below is a list of six immune-boosting nutrients and the different foods they can be found in, recommended by Nicklaus Children’s Hospital’s #GiveMe5 program.
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By: Michelle Nunez-Mendoza

Like many parents around the U.S., this week we embarked on the brave new task of virtual learning with our kids. For many parents who homeschool their children, this may be just another day, but combined with social distancing recommendations, “parenting and living virtually” as I like to call it can present some unexpected challenges. It’s also an opportunity to show our children what’s possible through educational technology and how to reconnect as a family.
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By: Jenise Subervi

We have all be thrust into a totally unexpected new normal, and for many of us, that now involves school-aged children at home with us 24/7. While many of our schools are sending out work and assignments, some of us are looking for things to do with kids who have not yet received assignments or who are on spring break already. In addition, some of us have to be able to work remotely while our children are hanging off of our arms or we need to be able to entertain them while we get said work done.
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