Across North Texas, students are out of school and at home. This can be a difficult and confusing time for everyone, especially young children.
NBC 5 checked in with Fort Worth Moms Blog for some ideas about how to talk to your kids about coronavirus.
“Have age-appropriate conversations with your kiddos about coronavirus. Remember that they will follow your lead so model healthy and responsible responses and reactions to the news,” Fort Worth Moms Blog CEO Emily Youree said. “Grab a journal of your kiddos. Not only can you get a peek into what’s going on inside their minds about coronavirus, but it’s also a great keepsake for a big moment in history.”
The blog has a comprehensive LIST of 10 Tips on How to Talk to Kids About a Crisis like COVID-19.
- Sprinkle in Some “Hints” before revealing the big, bad news, especially if there is enough time to be proactive.
- Just Do It. Take a deep breath, and try to state it simply and factually in a developmentally appropriate manner. Pick and choose the details you will reveal. It is great to frame it with positive words, if you can.
- Take Your Cues from Your Child. Ask if he or she has heard anything about it. This is powerful because you get to sit back a little and investigate!
- Be Reassuring. Express that someone is taking great care of him or her during this time. Alleviate those any anxieties regarding immediate harm that could occur.
- Model How to Respond. Remember that your child will look to you to know how to respond. It’s okay to be sad or upset, but also teach how to be calm.
- Do Not Overwhelm. Avoid constant news or constant talk about it. Coronavirus is the perfect example of this. This takes self-control. Practice it for the sake of your mental health and for that of your kids.
- Help Process and Find Purpose. Draw pictures for someone, make cookies for someone affected, write letters to a victim, or use piggy bank money to send to help relief efforts.
- Keep Routines. In the face of grief especially, it is comforting for kids to see the same classmates, do the same general routines, and find security in the normal, typical day. This is our biggest challenge with coronavirus right now, in my opinion.
- Be a Nurturer. Ask yourself, or even ask your kid, how can I help my child to feel safer? Then do that thing.
- Just BE There. Presence is everything. When a child is going through pain of any kind, emotional or physical, let everything you do communicate the feeling, “I am right here with you.”
Dallas ISD has gathered links to several videos that you can watch with your children. There are different videos for different age groups and they all deal with coronavirus.
You can find the video links HERE.
