The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Help kids stay safe during outbreak without prompting fear
Early indicators suggest children, whether due to more robust immune systems or factors still unknown, are less susceptible to the coronavirus. That doesn’t mean parents shouldn’t be talking to them about the outbreak or taking precautions.
Kids can transmit the virus — blamed for at least 3,200 deaths worldwide and gaining a foothold now in the United States — to vulnerable populations, including their parents and grandparents.
The challenge is prodding children to be safe without alarming them, said psychologist Anita Grover, who works with children, adolescents and young adults in Atlanta.
“We want to be especially cognizant of sharing developmentally appropriate information,” said Grover. “For example, providing all of the details to a 5-yearold may lead to misunderstanding, overwhelm or fear; whereas having more detailed discussions with a high school senior would be OK.”
She added, “It is extremely important not to label feelings for your children. If you start a conversation by saying, ‘You must be so scared about this sickness,’ if they were not feeling scared to begin with, they may end up feeling concern that they are not having the appropriate reactions.”
Her suggestion: Start by asking kids what they already know. “Once you have a baseline, you can guide the conversation. I always encourage using openended questions, such as, ‘Have you heard of coronavirus?’ and ‘Tell me what you know about it.’ This will provide great insight into what they have already heard among peers, at school and from social media,” said Grover.
Grover said parents need to both emphasize and model good hand hygiene, sleep and nutrition. She recognizes the challenge in getting children to follow the 20-second hand scrubbing recommended by the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She has been working with her (almost) 4-year-old on washing his hands.
She urged, “For younger children, you may put up a checklist for them. If there is pushback, encourage doing things together. For example, ‘Let’s wash our hands together.’”
Grover said it helps if schools and parents reinforce the same message.
“Find out what your school is saying and what strategies they have in place. We know that consistency across environments is necessary for young children,” she said. “For example, if there is a song that is sung at school as a hand-washing timer, decide on a good song for home or use the same song that the school is utilizing.”
Schools in Georgia are emphasizing hand-washing. “We are really revamping our efforts around hand-washing education and germ prevention and involving health and PE teachers, school nurses and all the adults in the buildings,” said Amy Roark, president-elect of the Georgia Association of School Nurses and director of nursing for the Clarke County School District.
“One thing I have stressed to school nurses: Provide the facts and remain calm and reassuring. Children look to adults on how to react to these stressful events,” Roark said.