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How to Talk to Kids About Coronavirus
Different ages need different messages. Stay calm and don’t overload them.
In any crisis, young children might hear things they’re not ready for. For some guidance, I reached out to Mary Alvord, PhD, a psychologist practicing in Maryland and co-author of the books “Resilience Builder Program for Children and Adolescents” and “Conquer Negative Thinking for Teens.” She specializes in the treatment of anxiety disorders and other conditions that depend on resilience. The following interview has been edited for length.
What should we tell our young children so they’re informed but not scared?
Very young children (under 4) may not understand what they have heard, so you need to see if they have questions and then you can explain in simple language that their routines will change. Avoid talk of people dying since they do not really understand those concepts and it would just add confusion.
With preschool and elementary ages, the concern is that kids just hear parts of conversations relating to this, and they also pick up tones of voice which can turn into misunderstanding.
Explain that there is a new illness that we are finding out about. Say that it doesn’t seem to make kids sick, but we…
