"Parents: The ultimate protection"
Nim Tottenham, professor of psychology at Columbia University in New York, said that when children can be looked after by another parent or close relative, the risk of them finding the separation traumatic is much reduced.
"Close family relationships are so important for infants and children, especially under times of stress, when the world is so strange as it is right now," she says. "Parents can be a really effective buffer of children's emotions and stress."
When a parent is living away from the rest of the family, it is particularly important to consider how to foster a sense of normalcy and reassurance, she says.
Drawing a parallel with military families, who frequently have to deal with separation and fears for a parent's safety, Tottenham says technology can be invaluable in maintaining a regular relationship."
