Ursuline counselor offers tips to soothe children during coronavirus pandemic

March 17, 2020

By Tracy Buccino, High School counselor at Ursuline Academy

Listen to and validate your children’s concerns. If your child tells you they have heard scary things about the coronavirus, avoid automatically dismissing their fears.

Instead, you might want to say, “If I had heard that, I would be scared, too!” Telling a child it’s silly to worry can often backfire. Instead of relieving the child’s worries, the child may just decide to keep her worries to herself.

Provide your children with information about the virus but keep it simple, age-appropriate and fact-based. It’s tempting to tell our children they won’t get COVID-19, but the Centers of Disease Control (CDC) suggests an alternative. You may wish to tell them that most kids and most people in general aren’t getting very sick and that only a small group has had serious problems. Follow that up with assurances that if they or someone they love gets sick, there are people who will help them.

Manage/monitor your children’s access to media coverage and social media and be aware of the impact it may be having on their emotional state.

Try to manage your own anxiety. (There is a reason flight attendants tell us to put our own oxygen mask on first!) This does not mean you should hide your worries. Our kids are smarter than that and will probably pick up on it. Instead, calmly let them know about your concerns, then brainstorm together ways that the whole family can cope with this stressful situation.

Maintain a normal routine as much as possible. Structure is reassuring and comforting for children.

Make time for physical activity. Getting outside, as long as you avoid crowds, is great for both your physical and mental health. But when that’s not possible there are plenty of options for indoor activities as well. You can find some options here: https://www.gonoodle.com

Be aware of signs that your child may need additional support. Some warning signs include:

Excessive crying and/or irritability and “acting out” behaviors;
Returning to behaviors they have outgrown (e.g., toileting accidents or bedwetting);
Excessive worry or sadness;
Unhealthy eating or sleeping habits;
Difficulty with attention and concentration;
Avoidance of activities enjoyed in the past;
Unexplained headaches or body pain;
Use of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs.

Selected resources for helping children and their parents/guardians cope with COVID-19: https://childmind.org/article/talking-to-kids-about-the-coronavirus/amp/ and
https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/3210-tips-for-families-talking-about-the-coronavirus