Coronavirus Tag? The Pandemic Has Become Part of Kids’ Playtime. Experts explain why COVID-19 has made its way into children’s games ― and why that’s mostly OK. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/coronavirus-tag-kids-playtime_l_5e680a01c5b6670e7300297e
Coronavirus: How To Talk To Your Kids About The Disease. Experts offers parents advice for talking to their children about the COVID-19 outbreak, including information for each age group. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/coronavirus-how-to-talk-to-kids-disease_l_5e5c615ac5b601022113151d
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Keep It Age-Appropriate
“Parents should approach talking to their kids about the coronavirus with their children differently depending on their age and developmental level,” Thomasian explained. “A good rule of thumb is to only use words your child already understands. Start with what they know about this and/or other illnesses and build on that. The motive for this conversation should be to give them age-appropriate information to help keep them safe, quell their worries and to answer any questions they might have.”
Under 6: Kids under the age of 6 don’t need much detail like the name of a virus or the global threat of an illness because they’re too young to process it. Be mindful about conversations you have with your partner or older children in front of your little ones and shut off any troubling images on TV or social media.
Instead, have a conversation about germs, how people get sick and things we can do to stay healthy like hand-washing. If they do come to you with questions about this specific outbreak or something they’ve seen, offer reassurance that your family is safe and healthy.
School-Age: For school-age kids, you can offer information about the outbreak: what it is, how it spreads and ways to prevent it. But stay away from talk of people dying, especially if your child is on the younger end. Emphasize that the grown-ups in their lives are doing everything they can to keep them safe and protected. And highlight the low number of cases in your local area if applicable.
“Beyond 5, keep your messaging simple and with confidence, ‘There is an illness going around right now, so we have to be extra careful about cleanliness and being around people that seem sick,’” recommended clinical psychologist John Mayer. “Kids know sickness and inherently don’t want to be sick, so they will understand the concept of prevention.”
As always, you’ll want to follow your child’s developmental lead when determining the appropriate amount of information to share. Focus on making them feel secure, and limit their TV news and social media exposure, which can create more anxiety.
“Your child may already be seeing individuals wearing face masks in everyday common places. Don’t make a big deal out of it,” recommended Eirene Heidelberger, a parent coach and CEO of GIT Mom. “If your child asks why they are, answer with a swift, ‘Because they feel it’s their best way to stay healthy, and every family has different strategies. That’s why we are doing a great job washing our hands.’”
You can tell them that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the group of experts handling this situation, doesn’t think healthy people need to wear masks. It’s also helpful to note that there are lots of doctors and scientists around the world who are working hard to protect people and that the U.S. in particular has great hospitals and medicine.
Give kids a frame of reference based on their past experiences with sickness to understand how COVID-19 manifests for most people ― a cold, sniffles, aches, fatigue, etc. You can remind them of times they were sick and then got better.
Preteens And Teen: “From about the age of 10 and up, be factual and don’t hide things from them. Stick to the facts as we know them right now and dispel any rumors or alarmist details they may have heard,” said Mayer. “Keep in mind they will pick up things on social media, so don’t think they are not hearing about this illness.”
With teens, you can also dive into the science and politics around the issue. Offer the data and facts you know and empower them to look up information from reliable sources like the CDC. Seek out answers to questions together.
There’s a lot of uncertainty around this virus, which can breed anxiety. If your preteen or teen is feeling anxious about the coronavirus outbreak, let them talk it out and be a listening ear. Remind them of past experiences with uncertain challenges and how they coped. It’s a helpful developmental exercise for kids to know that there is danger in the world and learn to handle fears, disappointments and negatives.
“It’s helpful for parents to say, ‘Remember when a tree fell on the house?’ or ‘Remember when the roads were icy, and we had a hard time getting to school?’” said Gene Beresin, executive director of The Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds at Massachusetts General Hospital. “Bring it back to challenging times they can remember. Say, ‘We got through it. We’ve gotten through hard times together, and we can do it again now. Of course we’re a little bit worried and don’t have all the answers. But we didn’t have them back then either.’ That promotes resilience.”
On the other hand, your preteens or teens may not be feeling this way at all. Take cues from them.
“If they are unconcerned, respect that indifference and update them as you feel necessary,” said Heidelberger.”