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How to talk to your child about coronavirus

Polly Logan-Banks
Content Editor

Has your child been asking about coronavirus? We spoke to child psychologist Angharad Rudkin for her top tips on how to talk about coronavirus with your child.

How to talk to your child about coronavirus

Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new strain of virus that first appeared in China in December 2019. Since then, it’s spread quickly to over 100 countries around the world.

With the country on lockdown, it’s only natural if you or your child is feeling a bit worried about coronavirus and how it could affect your family. We have separate guidance for parents who are concerned about coronavirus and pregnant women who are concerned about coronavirus.

Here, we spoke to child psychologist Dr Angharad Rudkin, editor of What’s My Child Thinking, for tips on how to put your child’s fears to rest …

How can I talk to my child about coronavirus?

Angharad explains that one of the most important things is to pick a time when your child is ready to talk:

‘Choose your moment so that you’re not talking about this when your child is hungry, tired, distracted or desperate to watch their favourite programme on the TV. Also avoid talking about it just before sleep time as worries can grow a lot during the night.’

Other tips for how to approach your child about coronavirus:

Listen to your child’s concerns

Angharad says ‘Before you launch into your speech, check out with your child what they already know, if anything, about the coronavirus, Then you can start from their position, which will make what you say all the more relevant and engaging.’

Stay as calm as possible

You may have your own concerns about coronavirus, but try not to let your child see you getting worked up about it. If you can stay calm during the conversation, your child will take this as a cue to stay calm, too.

Angharad says: ‘If your child ask you a question which taps into your anxieties, such as “Is Granny going to die of it?” be as non-defensive as you can in your answer, acknowledging and rationalising the worry without making false promises e.g.”That’s a good question. I have worried a bit about that too, but Granny is very strong and she’s going to do everything she can to keep herself safe”.’

Don’t dismiss your child’s fears

It can be tempting to just say ‘there’s nothing to worry about’, and leave it at that. But doing so could make your child feel bad for being afraid. Instead, acknowledge any fears and show that you understand coronavirus can be scary, before moving on to reassure your child on any specific points.

Reassure them that by washing their hands regularly they can help to fight the spread. You can buy hand soap designed especially for children here at Amazon. We like the Professor Scrubbington range!

Be realistic

For example, try to avoid promising that no one in your family will be affected by coronavirus, because you can’t know that for sure. Instead, stick to the facts.

Offer plenty of hugs

If your little one seems overwhelmed or frightened, be sure to offer hugs, kisses or other physical comfort. Don’t force it if your child doesn’t want it, though.

Postpone night-time questions

Many children ask their most difficult questions at bedtime, but that’s not necessarily the best time for a full-on conversation. Instead, offer as much reassurance as you can, and let your child know that you’ll discuss it more fully during the day.

What should I tell my child about coronavirus?

This depends in part on how old your child is. Five-year-olds might just need some very basic reassurance, while curious tweens may send you scrambling for a search engine to answer all their questions.

You know your child best, so only explain as much as you feel is necessary for reassurance. Bombarding your child with too much information could make them feel overwhelmed.

Remember, you don’t have to tell your child everything you know about coronavirus in the first conversation. You can always answer your child’s most pressing concerns now, and leave the door open for further chats in future.

Here are some of the points you might want to cover when talking to your child about coronavirus:

Coronavirus facts

Let your child know that most people with coronavirus just get a cold-like illness, and soon get better again. Describe the main symptoms of coronavirus (according to the NHS: coughing, fever and breathlessness), and ask your child to tell you if they experience any of these symptoms.

You could also explain that there’s no medicine for coronavirus, but that it usually goes away on its own.

Empowering your child

We all feel better about scary things if we feel we have power over them, and that goes for children, too. Show your child how to wash their hands really thoroughly, and explain that doing this regularly will help to reduce the risk of catching coronavirus.

For younger children, build extra hand-washing into your daily routine. For older children, remind them about washing their own hands when necessary.

If your child does need to cough or sneeze, encourage them to do it into a tissue, and bin the tissue straight away.

If the subject of masks comes up, explain that masks aren’t necessary, as they don’t help to keep people healthy.

See our list of coronavirus best buys for more proactive ways to keep your family healthy.

Thinking ahead

It’s possible that we could all be in some form of lockdown for many months. Even once lockdown is lifted, it may need to come into force again if the virus starts to spread quickly. Experts are saying that we can expect disruption for the rest of the year.

If your child is old enough to understand, you may want to prepare them for these possibilities ahead of time, by discussing what will happen in different situations.

Visual cues

Blogger Manuela Molina has created a fantastic resource that you can use to help you talk about coronavirus with your child – download it by clicking on the image below:

Coronavirus cartoon

How can I deal with my child’s specific worries?

If your child is worried about his own health

Explain that children are thought to be less likely to catch coronavirus than older people, and less likely to become seriously ill (as noted by the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

So if your child does get coronavirus, he’ll probably just get a cold, and be back to his old self in a few weeks.

If your child is worried about other people getting ill

Talk about all the doctors, nurses and scientists who are working to keep people safe from coronavirus. Explain that, although there’s no medicine that will make coronavirus go away, there is medicine that people can take to help them feel better until the virus goes away on its own.

You can also take the opportunity to praise your child for being so concerned about other people.

If your child is worried about people dying

Explain that most of the people who have died from coronavirus were already poorly, and that people who are fit and healthy usually get better.

If your child knows people with long-term health conditions, you could add that the doctors taking care of them will do everything they can to prevent your loved one catching coronavirus, and to help them get better if they do catch it.

If your child is scared of people with Chinese heritage

With reports surfacing of children with Chinese heritage facing discrimination from their peers, it’s good to know what to do if your child develops a fear of people with a different ethnicity due to coronavirus.

Angharad says: ‘Help your child develop their compassion towards others by using fair, kind and empathic words to describe the origins and maintenance of the coronavirus. This will help your child understand that everyone is trying their best to manage a difficult situation, and that we are all globally involved.

‘Directly question any racist views your child may have. They may not be aware of how their views and comments could hurt others, and information is the most powerful weapon against discrimination.’

My child is still really anxious. What can I do?

If your child is extremely worried about coronavirus, to the point where it’s affecting daily life for several days in a row, it might be worth contacting their teacher – if you have that information – or your GP. They may be able to direct you to online counselling or additional sources of information, to help your child feel less anxious.

Worried about coronavirus yourself? Join in the chat below, or check out our parents’ guide to coronavirus for more information.

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Coronavirus: what parents need to know

CHAT: are you concerned about Coronavirus?

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