Many of us are cycling through stages of emotion: What if things never return to normal? What if my children never see their grandfather again? What if the virus has screwed up our kids for a lifetime? This is the language of grief.

During this time difficult time our children can be beacons of meditation for us: we get to focus our attention on grounding them and in doing so, we ground ourselves. We must embrace the teachable moments that our children give to us.

Kids of each of the Five Powers will react to this unprecedented situation differently. We must meet them where they are and be emotionally present ourselves. Rather than asking your child, “what’s wrong?” you can ask “where are you feeling it?”

Hear more tips on building a connected household in the time of COVID-19 in this “living room” conversation with Stephen Cowan and Daniel Atchinson-Nevel.