This week, our daughter Suvera opened a hospital in our basement. Elsa and Anna had broken bones from slipping on ice and Jasmine broke her neck falling off a magic carpet ride. Ariel, who defied her father and went to the “surface,” breaking their social distancing rules, caught COVID and had a heart attack. Luckily, Dr. Suvera Ram had a cure. As we watched her come down for breakfast in the morning, wearing a white coat and stethoscope, prepared to respond to the calls coming in about her patients, we noted the value of play therapy. This is her way of mastering something intangible and expressing her sentiments through creativity. Reassuring herself that she has some control over how she can respond to the situation by working through everyday problems.
How to talk to kids about the coronavirus pandemic is a question we frequently receive. The uncertainty around Covid-19 is difficult for most adults to manage, let alone children who are now unsure about when they’ll go to school again, see their friends, play with their sports teams. How do we inform them without inspiring fear?
First, find out what they already know and believe. Some kids may be more aware than we realize, and some might not care at all. They’re home and safe and that’s all that matters in their minds. Without asking them, we can’t respond appropriately.
Stay calm and reassure. Kids are attuned to the tone of their surroundings and it’s easy for them to pick up on stress, irritability, and the anxiety around them.
Acknowledge your own anxieties. It’s important for children to understand others, including their parents, are anxious about social-distancing, coronavirus infections, or even being home all day with the responsibility of home-schooling. By voicing your own worries, you validate theirs.
Be aware of what they see on the media or the internet. With so much school work being done online, it’s important to ensure they aren’t only safe with their internet use, but also they are gathering information from reliable sources. This is, in fact, a good opportunity to teach your children about good/poor sources of information and how to approach them critically.
Lastly, remind them of the simple tasks they can do every day to reduce the spread of germs: wash their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds, cover their mouth when they cough, and sneeze in a tissue or your elbow. And then again, wash their hands.
Remember, practicing good hygiene at home doesn’t mean the end of cuddles. It means frequent handwashing, using your own utensils, towels, and pillowcases. Basic infection control measures. When your kids are scared, a hug can go a long way.
Here are some resources we’ve found helpful:
Drumheller specific information:
https://floodreadiness.drumheller.ca/covid-19/
https://floodreadiness.drumheller.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/covid-19-information-for-kids.pdf
AHS on Helping Kids: https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/news/Page15468.aspx
CDC: Talking to Kids: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/talking-with-children.html
Coronavirus: A Books for Children: https://nosycrowcoronavirus.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/Coronavirus_ABookForChildren.pdf
Dear COVID-19 is a weekly
column supplied by
Drs. Rithesh and Veronique Ram