One small mercy among the otherwise bleak news about the spread of the new coronavirus is that so few children have been seriously affected. While children are not immune to the new strain, their symptoms appear to be milder compared with adults.
And so far, no child has died from the disease.
The good news is that children are more resilient than we think. Credit:iStock
But that’s not to say that children are entirely unaffected by the outbreak of this new strain. Rolling news coverage, emptied shelves at the local supermarket and worried conversations among adults guarantee that it’s only a matter of time before kids work out that something is up.
Phrases such as “global pandemic” and “outbreak” and rising daily infection and death counts are enough to send a shiver down the spines of most adults — let alone children.
What should you tell your children about COVID-19 — particularly if your kids are currently blissfully unaware of the new coronavirus or the scale and pace of its spread?
Psychologist and founder of psychology web resource Hey Sigmund Karen Young suggests broaching the conversation with kids and establishing what they know first.
“It can be difficult to know how much kids know or have been exposed to, especially adolescents”, says Ms Young who is also the author of Hey Warrior, a book for kids to help them understand anxiety.
“Let the conversation be more of a casual check-in, ‘Have you been hearing the news about the coronavirus? Do you have any questions about it?' If they don’t want to talk about it, or if they don’t have any questions, there’s no need to push it. Just let them know that you’re always here if they want to ask you anything about it, and that no questions are off limits.”
For younger kids, Ms Young recommends tailoring the message further.
“Young children have less capacity to put big news into a context that feels safe. It is harder for them to understand the statistics, or to feel safe in the face of the risks that we’re being told about in the news,” she says.
“If young children are curious about what they are hearing, or if they might have heard something that feels unsettling for them, give them the information they need to feel safe but they don’t need more than that.”
What does an age-appropriate conversation look like when you’re discussing a global outbreak?
Dr Elizabeth Westrupp, who is a clinical psychologist and senior lecturer in the School of Psychology at Deakin University, advises building on what kids already know.
“Most kids already know about colds and the flu. It might be helpful to start reminding children what the difference is between common cold and the flu," Dr Westrupp says.
“And then just talking about this as a new strain and that means that no one has immunity in the population. Which presents an additional risk and obviously more infection.”
And it's not just the words we use. Children are constantly watching our behaviour and reading our moods to gauge their safety. Dr Westrupp suggests parents need to check in with their own feelings and frame of mind about COVID-19.
“Sometimes the way we communicate makes a big difference to the message. Make sure that before they start the conversation, parents have thought about it themselves and worked out what the key messages are that they want to give their child.”
Dr Westrupp also recommends parents talk in a relaxed way and avoid transmitting any kind of fear, even non-verbally, to their child.
On a practical level, Dr Westrupp says reminding kids about washing hands and basic hygiene is a good step. While we should be doing these things anyway, it can help kids feel like they are actually doing and controlling something, as well as reducing the chances of infection.
The good news is that children are more resilient than we think.
“Often we're really afraid to talk to children about scary things that, actually, often adults themselves are scared of,” says Dr Westrupp. “But the truth is we can say more and be more honest with children than we tend to think. But we need to do it in a thoughtful, planned way.”
Christopher Scanlon is an academic and the author of the young adult series, The Chess Raven Chronicles, under the pen name Violet Grace.
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