Whether your child has overheard adults discussing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) or seen people wearing face masks, it’s likely your child knows something about the epidemic. While the parental instinct to protect your children from worry may steer you away from talking about COVID-19 with them, their worry may actually increase by not talking about it with you. You are your child’s most reliable source of information. Keep in mind, children also look to their parents to determine how to interpret and feel about a situation. If you are experiencing anxiety about the epidemic, wait until you are calm to have a conversation with your child. This will decrease the chances of transmitting your worry and stress onto your child. To learn more tips on how to have an age-appropriate, fact-based conversation about COVID-19 with your kids, check out the following article published by The Child Mind Institute.
