“End-of-school-year celebrations are canceled. Here’s how your kid can bounce back.”

Xiaoyan (Amanda) Zhang, a doctoral student in the Department of Human Development and Family Science and Lerner Graduate Fellow, was interviewed by National Geographic for the article “End-of-school-year celebrations are canceled. Here’s how your kid can bounce back.” With COVID-19 changing almost every aspect of daily life for many people, this article notes that it is important to “recognize how disruptions and life-changing stress can be tough for kids, but dealing with them is a critical life skill.”Zhang, who studies how adverse childhood experiences impact health and wellbeing, says that “children who have difficulty dealing with negative emotions are at greater risk for depression and hostile behavior in their adult years—factors associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular and other disease.” However, studies also show that “a child who can successfully navigate social and emotional challenges is more likely to graduate from college, have better physical and mental health, and occupy higher-paying jobs.” Ultimately, Zhang believes that is important for parents to give “patient adult guidance” to their kids during this time, regardless of the age of the child.