SpeakIng to your KIds about COVID-19 With Sydney in lockdown, lots of families are pretty fearful right now about the Covid-19. We are constantly being inundated with information about the virus; whether that be on the news or social media. It’s dominating conversations, or we see the empty shelves at our local supermarket and worry. Many parents are looking for reassurance and strategies to support their children at this time. Although I’m writing in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, these strategies can be applied to any “big” event happening in your community that might impact on you and your child; like natural disasters and other health issues etc.
Don’t avoid discussing it. Although you might not be having direct conversations with your child about the virus, they will still hear whispers, pick up on your worries, feel or see increased tensions with being in lockdown etc. However; it’s important to understand that our children use their imagination to fill in the missing pieces. Even if you are avoiding talking about it to protect your child, not talking about an issue can make it feel like it’s something for them to worry about!
Consider their developmental level Based on their developmental level, take their cues before you share. When you do share, be mindful of their developmental level and how much is appropriate to share. Try not to overshare, just enough information so they understand what is going on, but not so much that they become overwhelmed.
Find out what they already know? It’s important to see what assumptions or guesses they might have made so you can correct any misunderstandings. You might also get some cues about how they are feeling (nervous, sad, scared etc), which will help you support them and reassure them
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Invite them to ask questions This way you get quickly to the crux of what might be bothering them, or what they are focussing on. Just be mindful that if you let them ask questions, be prepared to give them some answers!
Take their lead If your child doesn’t have questions, don’t force it. Let them know that if they do have any questions that they can come to you. And just periodically check in with them or check their behaviour and emotions for any changes…in case they are internalising their worries and not sharing them with you.
They asked a question…how do I answer it? Try and give a brief yet honest answer. Just don’t offer too much detail if they haven’t asked about it. If you aren’t sure then it’s ok to tell them that you don’t know, but it’s a great opportunity to get your detective hats on and do a bit of research together and find out. Just ensure that you use reliable sources like government or international health websites.
Kids are egocentric Essentially this means our kids are focussed on themselves (by the way this is normal in children). So they might need some reassurance because they are worried about the potential impact on themselves and potentially their immediate family. Try not to get bogged down in statistics like transmission rates, or total infections, instead reassure them that children tend to experience less serious symptoms, and that actually the virus isn’t as common as other things like the flu.
