Informing Children About Corona Virus Covid 19

News about coronavirus is spreading everywhere through newspapers, television, radio, and social media. These public conversations can bring panic in children and they can worry about their family, friends, and themselves as well.

Their family, friends, school, and relatives play an important role in making them understand what it is and how it is affecting people.

They should make them understand about right and honest information on COVID-19 and minimize their anxiety and fear. Rumors can impact the mind of children negatively. This will help them not to panic and understand it fully.

Best Psychologists has shared some tips on how to talk about COVID-19 to your children:

• Parents should assess what their child knows. They should talk to their children and ask them how much they know about Covid-19. If they say that we have listened to people are dying all over the world, then parents have to talk differently. If children say they have listened that it’s nothing more than flu than parents have to talk differently.
• Parents must process their own anxiety first before talking to their children. They should make it clear that they are not in a panic situation. If parents will panic at the time of talking to children, children may think that the situations are not good. The world may seem scary to them and they may also find themselves in a panicking situation.
• If your child feels afraid because of watching or listening about increasing cases of death cases of a virus, please take it seriously. Parents should listen to their children carefully, and go in-depth about what they are feeling. First calm them down and then you can talk about this again, later on, to make them understand.

What Parents Should Do?

• Parents should ask their kids to follow and maintain good hygiene. Like handwashing before and after meals, after going to the washroom or touching an unknown source. They should use hand sanitizers when they are outside their house.
• Parents should avoid such language which is opposed to others. Children should know that this is a virus and it can affect anyone in their community as well as others.
• Talk to children according to their age and knowledge about the virus. In-depth knowledge of a 3-year kid is not age-appropriate knowledge. According to Dr. R.K. Suri, age-appropriate knowledge should be given to children.
• Parents should watch what their children are watching on television, or listening on the radio or what they are watching online. If they will watch more on COVID-19, they may become more anxious and fearful.
• Parents should give them information, which is honest and accurate in nature. They should inform their children that many people are spreading rumors about this virus which should not be believed.

Parents should keep their kids happy and healthy. It’s completely natural if your children are asking questions repeatedly about COVID-19.

They may have anxiety regarding this. But if this increases, then parents should consult a health care provider or child psychologist. But before that children should be informed about the measures scientists and other health care providers are taking. So that they get a sigh of relief that they are safe.

Isolation, social distancing, and quarantine are recommended as prevention strategies against COVID 19 but if you have trouble at any time or you feel negative thoughts are bothering you please remember we are here to listen to you any time.

Connect with us at www.talktoangel.com an online platform led by Dr. R K Suri leading Clinical Psychologists to have personalized support. You can chat, audio, or video session with us anytime.