The coronavirus pandemic has caused quite a lot of alarm globally. And if adults are panicking, one can only imagine what the effect will be on children, especially since many schools across the world have closed down, and contact is restricted.
Here are some tips for how you can speak to your child about COVID-19, collated from United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), NPR (a non-profit media organisation), and Child Mind Institute.
While you may want to protect your child from the fear and anxiety around the novel coronavirus, you must still speak to them about it. They have probably heard of the disease already, noticed people wearing masks, and may even be unable to go to school anymore. In such a scenario, providing clear, age-appropriate information is better than pretending that the problem doesn't exist, to put their minds at ease.
Take cues from your child – ask them what they know, and allow them to ask questions. Answer honestly and clearly.
Children are perceptive, and will react to what you are saying and how you are saying it, making it all the more important for you to be calm and reassuring, and also deal with your own anxiety around COVID-19. If your anxiety is too overwhelming, it will likely affect your responses as well as the child. So, if you are feeling panicked, it is advisable to take some time and calm yourself down, before speaking to the child.
Do not dismiss your child’s fears and concerns. Acknowledge them and reassure them that you are always there if they want to talk.
While it is important to be honest and transparent, do not provide too much information to children as it can be intimidating and overwhelming. It works well to answer your child’s questions here, because it shows what they are curious about. It’s okay if you do not have all the answers, as long as you are available to talk to them. You can also assure the children that you will update them when you learn more.
Pay attention to what media your child is consuming and what they are learning about the coronavirus pandemic. Make sure that the sources are trustworthy, verified and age-appropriate. You may consider reducing screen-time or media consumption on COVID-19 as an excess of this could lead to the child getting anxious.
Also tell your child that some stories and news that they see online could be fake, unverified and based on rumours.
Tell them about safety and precautionary measures they can take to keep themselves and others around them safe – washing hands properly, practising social distancing, covering their mouth and nose while sneezing or coughing, or doing so into the elbow and so on.
Tell them that they should come to you if they have a cough or cold, feel a fever coming on or any other symptoms and that you will take care of them.
The coronavirus pandemic has brought to light some instances of racial discrimination. Ask your children if they have been subjected to bullying or if they are perpetuating it. Make them understand that COVID-19 has nothing to do with what someone looks like and where they come from; and that if they face bullying because of these or any other reasons, they should tell an adult they feel safe with.
The news around coronavirus can seem quite scary, so highlight some positive aspects as well. Share stories of health workers, scientists and others who are helping those in distress. Stories of recovery from the virus, of kindness and compassion can also provide comfort to children.
It’s important for the child to feel like they can still have a normal life. Develop a healthy and engaging routine and stick to it, particularly if the child’s school or daycare has been shut over coronavirus fears.
There are some child-friendly resources you can refer to, to help make the conversation and education easier. NPR has a comic that explains coronavirus, its symptoms, and preventive measures in a child friendly manner. See it here, or print this zine version to discuss with your child.
A video I came across on teaching kids the significance of washing their hands. Quite cool!
— Geetika (@geetikamantri) March 13, 2020
The kids reacting in awe at how soap can keep the virus away is so cute! #Coronavirus pic.twitter.com/yPvBRqh7Xa
Here’s a song by Wiggles, that tells kids when they should wash their hands and how.
There’s also this fun ‘handwashing’ dance by Vietnamese dancer, Quang Đăng.