{"id":30273,"date":"2020-03-26T09:56:05","date_gmt":"2020-03-26T15:56:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=30273"},"modified":"2020-08-19T15:29:46","modified_gmt":"2020-08-19T21:29:46","slug":"tips-for-talking-to-children-about-the-coronavirus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/tips-for-talking-to-children-about-the-coronavirus\/","title":{"rendered":"How to talk to your children about the coronavirus"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Before talking to children about the coronavirus, it is important that you make the answers that you are giving as age-appropriate as you can. Photo: Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With the constant media chatter, schools closed, and playdates and museum visits canceled, kids will naturally have questions about the coronavirus and COVID-19.<\/p>\n

It can be challenging for parents \u2014 none of them experts on coping with a worldwide pandemic \u2014 to try to explain what is happening.<\/p>\n

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Dr. Richard Payden, a family medicine physician at UCHealth Primary Care \u2013 Estes Park.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dr. Richard Payden, a family medicine physician at UCHealth Primary Care \u2013 Estes Park<\/a>, shares important concepts to consider when speaking with children about the novel coronavirus pandemic.<\/p>\n

Know your audience<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u201cOne of the most important factors when discussing something with a child is realizing that they are not always thinking in the same way that you are,\u201d Payden said.<\/p>\n

Some children take things very literally, while others may let their imaginations run wild with all the facts. Neither is a good or bad way of responding, only important to consider.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore answering any of the questions about a topic as significant as coronavirus or the disease caused by it, COVID-19, it is important that you make the answers that you are giving as age-appropriate as you can.\u201d<\/p>\n

Should I always tell the truth to my child about coronavirus, even if they are asking questions with difficult answers?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t believe that lying to a child is a good thing to do,\u201d Payden said. \u201cI think it is important that you craft your answer in a way that will inform your child of the pertinent facts needed to answer the question, but also keeping in mind that they may not fully comprehend the gravity of some of their questions.\u201d<\/p>\n

How can I relate what is going on with the coronavirus to other events in my child\u2019s life?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Children often understand situations better when they are compared to something that rings familiar.<\/p>\n

For example, children in Colorado often deal with snowstorms that close schools and make going outside risky. Payden said he\u2019d explain it like this:<\/p>\n

\u201cIf a snowstorm comes in over the mountains, it can be dangerous. If you do all the right things to prepare for the storm, then you should be OK. However, it can still be dangerous if you go outside and expose yourself to the storm \u2014 much like how it is better not to go to school or stores and risk exposing yourself to the virus.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the cold can be more dangerous for older people than it is for younger people, just as the virus is more dangerous for older people than it is for younger people.\u201d\"grandfather<\/p>\n

Payden provides more advice for parents talking to their children about coronavirus:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

What is coronavirus?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\u201c<\/strong>Coronavirus is a germ that in most people will cause a cold, and it is around every year in the winter,\u201d Payden said. \u201cThis year there is a new type of coronavirus. And this particular germ can make people sick enough that they may have to go to the hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n

Learn more about viruses with this virus 101 article<\/a>.<\/p>\n

How do I not get the coronavirus?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\u201c<\/strong>Coronavirus is spread through what are called respiratory droplets. These droplets are made when people cough, sneeze, have runny noses, or even when they speak. These droplets can then spread to other people, giving them the virus. But there are things people can do to help stop the virus from going from one person to the next.\u201d<\/p>\n

By teaching them how they can help stop the spread of the coronavirus, you can help your children feel empowered:<\/p>\n