If you have an anxious child, this time of fear and uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 and the Coronavirus is going to be incredibly difficult for them but there are a few ways in which you can help them through.
Don’t pretend it isn’t happening. My daughter is in school and she is very aware of it, if I try to pretend it isn’t happening, this is very confusing and worrying for her as she’s hearing school friends talking about it every day in the playground.
Instead, ask them what they have already heard. That way you can dispel any myths that they have heard on the playground. Children love to exaggerate, often mishear things and are generally more prone to getting hysterical about things and feeding off each others’ fears and insecurities. That way you can intercept and reassure them without adding to their fears by talking about things they might not be aware of. E.g. “You seem worried about the coronavirus, what have you heard?” Rather than “You might have heard about all the coronavirus deaths.”
Talk to them in an age appropriate way. Don’t overwhelm them with facts and information if they are very young and don’t dumb it down too much if they are older. It can be hard when you don’t have all the answers yourself but you can just remind them that it’s a new virus but that we have had similar viruses before and it’s been ok. One thing that might help is them knowing that the common cold is a Coronavirus and look how many times we’ve all had that! Try to take the fear out of the name for them.
Find some useful resources beforehand. Don’t google or watch a video you haven’t seen before while they are with you as you have no idea what will come up, the last thing you want to do is stumble on a video that makes everything sound terrifying. Newsround on CBeebies brought out this excellent video that should be reassuring for them and also the video below for a bit more in-depth question and answers. “The more you know, the better you feel, knowledge is power.” – Dr Chris
Try to turn off the radio in the car if the news comes on. Every morning on the school run we seem to just hear ‘another death from Coronavirus’ and it is just so scary for them and they are starting their day full of fear.
Reassure them but don’t downplay it too much. It’s very important that they follow guidelines such as hand washing and sneezing and coughing into a tissue, you just don’t want them getting too scared to touch anything. Do remind them that it’s always important to be as healthy as possible and so it’s a good idea to wash their hands regularly anyway and also to eat lots of fruit and veg and do exercise to look after our bodies and help them to be strong to fight off infections.
Find some reassuring facts for them. Let them see the recovery rate and that it’s very mild for most people. Let them talk to family members regularly so that they know they are ok and tell them that they can talk to you at any time about their fears.
Don’t stop all your usual activities. Of course follow guidelines and make necessary adjustments but try to live as normal a life as possible still walking the dog and going to run about in the park in the fresh air so they have times to take their mind off it. Having fun and laughing will be the best way to take them out of their own heads if their thoughts are scary. I have more tips to help calm an anxious child here.
Do make them aware in advance that there is a chance that their usual routine might be affected for a bit and there is a possibility that clubs, groups and even school might be closed for a while but involve them in coming up with some ideas for crafts and recipes that you could make together instead, or create a list of books or films you’d like to work your way through. There are many wonderful and educational ideas in this post from Monkey and Mouse.
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