Sometimes talking to our kids about scary and hard topics is daunting. Here are some tips for talking to the younger (elementary age and below) aged children.

We are thankful to Canva.com (the website we use to create most of our graphics) for creating this lovely set of graphics for how to talk to your kids about Coronavirus.
This is so important. Your kids will have heard about it on the radio or the TV or maybe at school.
When bad things happen, we do not talk to our kids about the events the same way we talk to our friends or our peers. Being developmentally appropriate is so important. For our youngest friends, you might just say, “There is a germ going around that is making some people sick. We are staying home to try and stop the germ from being able to move around.”
We forget that our kids have worries. And they aren’t all about this virus. Maybe they are just worried they will never get to play on the playground again. Maybe they are worried about their friend. Maybe they just want to be able to see favorite adults again. Let them chat with you.
Look for a great handwashing video. Remind them that we aren’t just dashing our hands under the water, but we are actually rubbing together for a longer period of time–the soap needs time to do it’s job.
Our routines are very important. Life is crazy right now, but some consistencies are needed. Set a bedtime and a wake up time–they do not have to be the same times as during the school year. Eat regular meals, make a list of tasks for the day, make sure they get outside during the day and they have lots of time to play.
We were talking about this at the library yesterday. We have to manage our own anxieties before we can help our kids through theirs. If you need someone to talk to, reach out to a friend or family member via phone or Face Time. It is SO valuable to you and your child for Mom & Dad to be healthy.

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