Coronavirus chaos can scare your kids: Here’s how to talk to them about it

As of March 19, the total number of active COVID 2019 cases across India stands at 148. Amid this coronavirus chaos, many parents are facing the challenge of explaining the situation to their kids. Talk to your kids in this way.

By: Longjam Dineshwori | | Published: March 19, 2020 1:02 pm

Amid coronavirus chaos, many parents are facing the challenge of explaining the situation to their kids© Shutterstock

As the coronavirus pandemic continue to expand its reach, people across the globe are compelled to self-quarantine and stay home. India is also witnessing an increasing number of positive cases for coronavirus. As of March 19, the total number of active COVID 2019 cases across India stands at 148 – according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. To contain the outbreak, many state governments have shut schools, colleges, malls, theatres, pubs as well as some offices. They have also urged people to take social distancing measures as a preventive strategy to avoid COVID-19. Also Read - Abnormally high blood sugar in non-diabetic COVID-19 patients may lead to fatal outcome

Amid this chaos, many parents are facing the challenge of explaining the situation to their kids. You may also be finding difficult to make your children take the safety precautionary measures and stay at home. Below are some tips on how to tell your children about coronavirus so that they don’t get too scared about it. Also Read - Horseshoe crab blood may be crucial for development of an effective COVID-19 vaccine

Start by asking what they know about the virus

By now, your child may have heard about the new coronavirus, whether it’s from TV or from their friends at school and locality. So, start your conversation by asking what he/she knows about the virus. Misinformation like ‘we all will die’, ‘it is more dangerous for children’ and so on can cause anxiety in them. Also Read - Interpersonal stressors related to self-isolation increase risk of COVID-19

Manage your own anxiety first

Your aim is to calm your kids down and reduce their fear about the deadly virus. So, make sure you’re not panicking about the topic before you start the conversion or in their presence.

Take your child’s fears seriously

If your child is scared that he might die too, don’t take it lightly and dismiss it. But just saying them “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine,” is not enough. Listen to them carefully and try to understand his feeling. Let them calm down by sharing some of your own childhood experiences when you were scared. Don’t start the conversation about coronavirus right now. You can do it may be during the dinner time when they are less scared and more relaxed.

Use language your child will understand

If you are talking to your young child, try to explain them in a simple way. For example, you may tell them that there are different viruses that can cause bad cold and coronavirus is one such virus. And you can tell them why is it important to take safety measures and all.

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Published : March 19, 2020 1:02 pm

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