Guidance on Talking to Your Children About Coronavirus
It goes without saying that it's come to the point where we are hearing the word Coronavirus or COVID-19 several times a day. This so it would seem, is unavoidable. It is now a world where the vast majority of us are feeling somewhat overwhelmed and perhaps slightly anxious, so it's no surprise at all that our children could be feeling on-edge as well.
It can be very challenging when we don’t necessarily have all the information for our children, as parents or guardians you can't be expected to have all the answers all the time.
With this in mind, talking to children about difficult topics such as the pandemic can be very daunting. The best way to go about it is to calmly be as honest as you can without worrying them. In this guide, we will offer you some guidance on how to go about discussing this tricky topic with your child.
Where to start
You might want to try and gauge their level of comprehension or interest and then decide what level of detail you need to go into when explaining what is going on. It’s important to try and appropriately respond to their questions, to make sure that their anxieties don’t build up. You might want to start by asking them what they think is currently happening, if their nursery or school friends are talking about it and if so, what they are saying. Then see if they have any further questions.
Older children might well have already read or been exposed to an abundance of information regarding coronavirus on social media or just online in general. If they are finding this overwhelming, encourage them to think about what it is they are finding unsettling to process. You may also want to encourage them to limit the amount of times they check the news, and encourage them to get information from reputable news sources. The Government website is the most up-to-date and reliable source of information, as well as the NHS site for if they are concerned about symptoms or family members.
Getting the ball rolling and starting up a conversation can be challenging, particularly if you’re concerned that your child is having a difficult time at the moment. You know your child better than anyone and will be able to pick up on this. You will no doubt be able to tell when they are in a bad mood or not in the frame of mind to talk, or even when they aren’t responding to your attempts at a conversation. Above anything else, it’s crucial to remember that as a parent, you don’t need to have all the answers but you can support them in containing their concerns and anxieties - just by being there for them.
It is OK to be concerned
It's important that they know this. This will be an unprecedented time for lots of us. Children are highly likely to understand the uncertainty that you as an adult are dealing with too, or they will have likely picked up on news stories that are not expressed in an age-appropriate way.
Talk about their concerns with them, rather than well-meaningly disregarding their feelings. This is a much healthier approach than telling them “everything is fine”. You may also wish to share with them that you also find events like this worrying too. Let them understand that you can balance up these worries with the understanding that they will likely not come true.
Although bad things do happen in life, lots of good people including world-leading experts are all working very hard to reduce the impact of the pandemic, so they do not need to be scared all the time.
Try to be careful not to have conversations about your worries - especially relating to deaths, serious illness and worries for friends or family within earshot. Kids can easily pick up more than we realise, and they may misinterpret or keep their feelings hidden from you.
Find the balance in consuming news
Smaller doses of real-life news from a valid source is more helpful than an abundance of overinflated and desentitising news sources. Too much exposure can do more harm, this is because children can become easily fixated on a news story and repeatedly look at news coverage relating to it.
The important thing here is balance. Forcing news to children or going to great lengths to shield them from it, can be unhelpful.
If the news is on, try turning off the TV or closing web pages when they enter the room. This can spark their interest in knowing what's going on – and this is when their imagination runs wild.
Give them the necessary information and offer reassurance
The best way to communicate safety with your child is by talking to them about the worrying news with open, confident, clear and honest thoughts. Focus on the positives of what they can do to look after themselves and others, discussing the importance of hand washing and so on. It’s also a good time to talk about the benefits of kindness and caring for others around you.
Talk about vulnerability and responsibility
Talk to your children what it means to be vulnerable. Vulnerability is not a bad thing; it is a natural response to experiencing uncertainty and the risk of and being emotional. You might be feeling vulnerable yourself as a parent regarding having this conversation with your child. Try to think about this and offer them a lot of time for discussion and support from you.
Discuss with your child what it means to be a vulnerable person at this time for example, belonging to a high risk group as defined by the NHS such as elderly or disalbled people. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and talk to them about how many of the responses to it have been put in place to help protect those who are most vulnerable.
You might wish to use this as a chance to teach children how to grow into responsible adults. In keeping with these measures, for example, not going out and gathering with other people – means realising that there is something bigger than individuals, and that we should look after each other. As always, remind them that bullying is always wrong, and that we need to each do our part to spread kindness and support each other.
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