how to:

a l k
T to ds
ki
about any difficult
topic
(like coronavirus)
 1.

Deal with your own anxiety

and worries:

Meditate
Breathe
Sit or walk alone in silence or in nature
Write in your journal
Speak to a friend
Read uplifting stories
Say affirmations
Listen to soothing music
move

2.

Open a conversation by asking a open

questions:

Instead of:
Have you heard about coronavirus?
Try:
 what have you heard about coronavirus?

3.

Listen Attentively

Kids will say what they think they know, what they have heard, and
they will also ask you many questions. This is a good indication of
how anxious or not anxious they are; what their theories are; and
how much they truly know.

“Are we all going to die?”

“Is it true kids don’t get it?”

“Now it is in Spain”

“People are lying about how many sick

people there are”

“Is it true we can’t travel anymore?”

“If I put my mouth in the dirt,

will I get coronavirus?”
 4.

Answer children’s questions in

age-appropriate ways, honestly, and
with information- focused facts.
• Use facts that the children can understand.
• Listening you will be able to see where your child is at, so you
can offer age-appropriate answers.
• Do not offer information that is not asked for or needed, we
do not want to feed their fears.
• Be honest and clear.
• It is okay to say “I do not know yet…”
• Offer to teach new ways to take care of everyone.
• Always remind children of kindness and acceptance.

“The disease did start in China, and has spread to other

countries. However, that is very expected. It is going to
take some superhero powers from all of us to help stop
it from spreading.”

“It is mostly mild on children, but some older people may

not do so well with the illness.”

“The most effective way to keep everyone safe is always

washing our hands, and cleaning shared spaces.”

“Would you like me to show you how to wash your hands?”

“Even if we can’t say hello or a kiss, we can always look

kindly at people in the eyes and say
 5.

Listen, validate, and help your child

deal with their worries.
kids may say:

“If I die, I am going to punch God in the face

because he did this to us!’
“Will this hurt grandma?”
“What is happening to my friend in Italy?”

YOU CAN ANSWER:

“I understand that you might feel anger, fear, sadness,

and have tons of worries. I also have worries.”
“Would you like to write/draw about your worries?”
“These are some ways to relax”

6.

Reassure children
We are all doing everything we can to keep you and everyone
around us safe.
 7.

Make Care Plans together & Stick to

routines
• “How about we make a home plan of how we can keep safe?”
• “What are your suggestions?”
• “Here are some suggestions scientists are making:
wash your hands often
Try not to touch your nose, eyes, and face before washing your
hands.
Cover your nose with your elbow when your sneeze
Take your vitamins
Eat healthy foods and drink a lot of water, sleep well, and
exercise”
• “How can we make sure we do what we say we’re going to do?”

8.

Keep the end of the conversation

open-ended.
“Because this is new for all of us, we are still getting new
information every day, and I have a lot of questions that are still
not answered. But I will continue to let you know, and we can
explore answers together.”
 8.

Try to infuse gratitude and

playfulness in daily actions
“We are so lucky we get to be together “
“I am so grateful for having this
“I am so grateful for having this conversation with you.”
“ Want to make a game out of keeping clean?”

Demonstrating gratitude and motivating children to express it,

will allow children to focus on the positives.

Find a game in everything, it will lighten the situation and allow

you all to stay present.