How To Talk to Your Toddler About Coronavirus
Since mid-March, all of our lives have been drastically changed as we’ve navigated our way through a global pandemic and a historical economic crisis. I don’t know about you, but it’s been wearing on me – the change in routine, the seclusion and lack of socialization, the distance from family…it’s been a tough time for many of us. As an adult, however, I’m able to understand that this is all for the greater good; that in order for this to go away and return to normalcy we have to be vigilant, and that in order to keep ourselves and others safe, this is the way it has to be for now. It’s not easy, but we’re capable of understanding the reasoning behind all of the precautions and measures that are taking place. Now, imagine being a toddler and having your life drastically and suddenly change, but not being able to understand why. Kids are incredibly resilient and will be okay (with adequate resources and support), but it’s important for us as adults to remember that they need extra encouragement and patience during this time. Talking to young children about COVID-19 is difficult to do in terms that they’re able to understand, but it’s possible. Topics such as mask wearing, social distancing, and quarantining are all things that we need to be doing our best to explain to our kids in creative and nurturing ways. In this article, I’ll highlight some developmentally appropriate ways that you can talk to your children about the pandemic.
Mask Wearing
If you haven’t yet, try explaining to your child that we are wearing masks to keep us and others safe right now. Explain that everyone’s body carries germs, and that it’s completely normal for us to get sick; however, right now there is a new virus that we have to be more careful about. Assure them, with confidence, that wearing a mask is something that will keep them safe. My son is almost two, and we’ve begun practicing wearing a mask during play time in the morning. We started off wearing it for one minute, and have gradually increased the time – now he’s able to tolerate wearing it for about five minutes. We haven’t actually had to go anywhere where he has to wear it (and, currently, the CDC recommends that kids do not begin consistently wearing a mask until age 2), but I’m feeling more confident that he will be able to do so when the day comes! Slowly introducing masks to your child in an environment that they’re comfortable in is an awesome place to begin educating your child about mask wearing.
Tons of websites are now offering kids masks in a variety of designs – does your child have a favorite color, TV show, or animal? Try doing an internet search for a mask that your child would think is super cool – you’d be surprised how many options are out there! If your child is able, you can even have them help pick out their mask. This will help their mask feel more personal to them, and they’ll be much more likely to wear it – and maybe even enjoy it! Model wearing your mask for your child, and act excited about it. If your child knows that you enjoy wearing your mask, your excitement and acceptance of mask wearing will inevitably rub off on them. As I always say, you are your child’s best teacher, and this situation is no exception!
Another awesome strategy for mask wearing is allowing your child put his or her mask on their stuffed animals or dolls. This is a really fun way for them to get used to the idea of mask wearing in a way that doesn’t put the pressure on them. Think of it as a new, different way of playing dress-up!
Social Distancing
This has been a tough one for my toddler to understand. He’s a very social little guy, and he loves to run right up to people and say hello. When the pandemic began and we learned about the concept of social distancing I immediately recognized that it may be difficult for him, so I began practicing keeping a 6-foot distance from him for very small amounts of time during the day. We sort of turned it into a game – when he’d try to come close to me, I’d say, “remember, let’s keep our space!”, and we’d laugh and he’d maintain distance from me for a short period of time. We played that game several times a day, and now when we’re out for walks and he expresses an urge to run towards someone I simply say, “remember, let’s keep our space!”, and he is able to do so (most of the time).
My son is a bit too young to fully understand why we’re keeping our distance from others; however, many children will be able to understand the concept if it is explained to them. Simply tell your child that there is a new virus in our world, so we have to stay far away from people until we know it’s safe to get close again. Remind them that you know how hard it is to keep a distance from people, and that you understand why it would be frustrating for them. Comfort them when they express difficulty with the concept of social distancing, and reassure them that it will not be this way forever. Acknowledging children’s emotions and comforting them through the emotions is far more powerful than trying to convince your child that the emotion is not important or does not warrant tears. Read that again, it’s important.
Quarantining
Having to stay at home and not frequent the places that our children are used to can be incredibly difficult for them to understand. Before the pandemic hit we were taking swim lessons, going to state parks, going to a gym class, and having lots of playdates with friends. Obviously, we are no longer doing those things; my son is not even 2 yet, so it’s been relatively easy to transition him to our new normal by providing enriching, fun activities for us to do together at home. Older kids, on the other hand, may have a much harder time dealing with this. My advice is similar to the advice given about social distancing – have these tough conversations with your kids. Be honest with them and acknowledge their feelings, and ask them what would help them feel better. Come up with fun ideas of things to do together at home. Luckily, we have amazing technological resources at our finger tips, and finding activities to do with your children is now easier than ever.
Now, I want you to read this and really take it in – be easy on yourself. Your parenting style is going to be challenged during this time – don’t believe in prolonged amounts of screen time? Let that expectation go. Don’t believe in having donuts for breakfast? Let that expectation go. These are unprecedented times, and none of us are going to be perfect. The most important thing we can do for us and our children is to be easy on ourselves and go with the flow. Some days will be great and some days will be incredibly challenging, and that’s okay. Just know that you’re doing your best, our kids are doing their best, and not every day can be full of engaging, enriching activities – some days are TV days, and that’s perfectly fine.
Social Stories
One of my favorite ways to talk to children about difficult topics is through social stories. Social stories are a learning tool that explain specific topics and situations (such as going to the doctor, what to expect on the first day of school, or how to brush your teeth) and how to deal with them. Social stories were developed by pediatrician Dr. Carol Gray in the early ‘90s for children on the autism spectrum; however, social stories have proven to be an incredibly beneficial tool for all children. One of the best things about social stories is that they can be personalized for any child – for example, if your child is particularly afraid of flying on an airplane and you have a trip coming up, you can write a social story to help them cope and prepare for the flight! Social stories are a tool that I use often in my classroom to help children cope with a variety of different scenarios that may feel personally scary or difficult for them.
Because so many of the topics around coronavirus may be difficult for children to understand, I’ve written social stories several topics – please click on any of the links below to download a free, printable copy of a social story to share with your children. I hope these social stories are beneficial for you and your family, and help your child to better understand what’s going on in our world. Enjoy, and stay safe!
