6 Tips for Talking About the Coronavirus With Your Kids
- 4 years ago
6 Tips for Talking About the
Coronavirus With Your Kids The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our lives
and your children have many questions. Here are six tips from experts
at the Child Mind Institute to
help you talk with your child
about the coronavirus. 1. Don’t be afraid to talk about the coronavirus
with your kids, as they’ll likely hear plenty of information
on their own. Receiving fact-based information from
their parent will likely be much more reassuring
then whatever their friends are telling them. 2. Rather than overwhelming them
with information, let your children
ask you what they want to know. Answer honestly and clearly, but use their age and maturity
level to determine how much information is too much. 3. Encourage your child to be open
about the feelings and fears they may
be having because of the coronavirus. Your goal is to keep them informed,
but not unnecessarily panicked. 4. Calm yourself down and deal with your
own anxiety before talking to your kids. If you’re feeling panicked, it is not the right time to
talk to your kids, as you’ll cause them to feel it too. 5. Keep your family rooted in routines and predictability to
distract them from the uncertainty being caused by COVID-19. This is especially important
since schools and daycares have
been shutdown throughout the world. 6. Emphasize the ways in which you and your child can
stay safe. This will help them feel empowered. If they know the specific things they can
do to keep themselves safe, they’re more
likely to execute them on their own.
Coronavirus With Your Kids The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our lives
and your children have many questions. Here are six tips from experts
at the Child Mind Institute to
help you talk with your child
about the coronavirus. 1. Don’t be afraid to talk about the coronavirus
with your kids, as they’ll likely hear plenty of information
on their own. Receiving fact-based information from
their parent will likely be much more reassuring
then whatever their friends are telling them. 2. Rather than overwhelming them
with information, let your children
ask you what they want to know. Answer honestly and clearly, but use their age and maturity
level to determine how much information is too much. 3. Encourage your child to be open
about the feelings and fears they may
be having because of the coronavirus. Your goal is to keep them informed,
but not unnecessarily panicked. 4. Calm yourself down and deal with your
own anxiety before talking to your kids. If you’re feeling panicked, it is not the right time to
talk to your kids, as you’ll cause them to feel it too. 5. Keep your family rooted in routines and predictability to
distract them from the uncertainty being caused by COVID-19. This is especially important
since schools and daycares have
been shutdown throughout the world. 6. Emphasize the ways in which you and your child can
stay safe. This will help them feel empowered. If they know the specific things they can
do to keep themselves safe, they’re more
likely to execute them on their own.