25 March, 2020
NIJZ

In uncertain situations such as the COVID-19 epidemic, both adults and children face feelings of insecurity and fear.

Children react differently to such situations and are naturally influenced by their parents’ emotions. At the same time, school closures and other measures to slow down the spread of the epidemic have made a huge difference to children’s lives.
NIJZ has prepared a series of guidelines that can help parents to talk to their children and offer some key clues:
Most children have heard of the virus, so don’t avoid talking about it.
Lack of information and concealment of information, as well as unverified information or information from non-expert sources, can increase distress or fear. Information regarding the virus changes rapidly, so make sure you have the most up-to-date information yourself. Obtain all information regarding the coronavirus and the situation from reliable sources (e.g. ministries, NICU, WHO, and the media that summarise the information).
Do not be afraid to tell your child if you do not know something or do not have all the answers.
It is important to be available and to allow and empower the child to talk about his/her feelings. Tell him that you love him and are available to talk and play with him.
Adapt the information to the age of the child. Younger children will usually have specific questions (What is coronavirus? Is anyone going to get sick? How can they prevent the disease?), older children may have more complex questions (What does this mean for my family? Can someone die? What does it mean for the whole world? Could shops close and food run out?).
Don’t give children too much information at once, answer what they are interested in and what they ask you. The aim of the conversation is to reassure the child and, by giving clear information, to reduce the possibility of frightening ideas or thoughts about the illness.
Be calm, honest and clear in your answers. Let the child know that this is a period that will pass. Give the child a sense of security and control. Let them know that health and other professional services are doing everything they can to protect and preserve their health. Inform them about what they can do to prevent the spread of disease and infection (see the following link for more information). You may find the film available here helpful in teaching children how to wash their hands properly through play.
Avoid catastrophising and predicting dark scenarios in your conversation. In line with the child’s questions, address realistic possibilities (e.g. a loved one may become ill and need medical attention).
Limit the time spent talking about the coronavirus. Coronavirus is a (too) frequent topic of conversation these days, and it often happens that we only talk about it and get worried. It is important to limit the time we spend with our children talking about coronavirus and to focus on other aspects of our lives, especially those that we can control and that are positive.
Routine reduces uncertainty, so as far as possible, maintain a daily rhythm and routine (allow your child to play, relax, rest, etc.).
We adults are role models for children. We can contribute to children’s health and well-being by our calmness, self-reliance and sense of security.
Source:

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EU Funds
The project is part-funded by the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities and the European Union through the European Social Fund. The operation is financed under the Operational Programme for the Implementation of the European Cohesion Policy 2014-2020, Priority Axis 9 “Social inclusion and reducing the risk of poverty”, Priority Investment 9.1 “Active inclusion, including the promotion of equal opportunities and active participation, and improving employability”, Specific Objective 9.1.2 “Empowering target groups to move towards the labour market”.