Coronavirus and children: how to talk about a pandemic and what symptoms should alert parents

To dispel fears and anxieties, an open and honest conversation is needed, writes deti.mail.ru.

Even if it seems to you that your child does not particularly follow the news about the coronavirus, most likely, he feels how nervous the adults are, discussing a pandemic among themselves. He can hear something on this subject from friends, relatives, see stories on TV, not understand much and be scared.

Instead of letting it go, parents should discuss with the child what is happening in the world and help them cope with fear and anxiety. Only psychologists advise doing this in accordance with the age and level of development of the child.

Infancy

Although babies from one to three years old, most likely, do not really know what is happening, they are perfectly able to read the anxiety and anxiety of their parents. Therefore, try to stay calm in the presence of the child and maintain his usual daily routine.

Do not turn on the news on the TV when you are a kid. Watch for non-verbal signs of anxiety - the child may begin to be afraid of what he was not afraid of before, become more moody, or ask for pens all the time.

Spend more time with your baby, give him more of your attention and love. If he does not ask questions about what is happening, they themselves do not need to talk about it.

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Preschoolers

Preschoolers may well be very interested in coronavirus. Perhaps they will ask questions about germs, doctors, or even death. Most of the children in this age group are usually worried about safety, so reassure them by saying that adults in the know are in full swing to ensure that all people are healthy.

Preschoolers may also worry if their parents, relatives and friends get sick. Here we can say that everyone does everything possible so as not to get sick and take care of others.

Remind the children of the importance of washing their hands frequently and properly.

Tell us that you can’t touch your face with your hands, and when you cough or sneeze, you need to cover your mouth and nose with a handkerchief. This will give children a sense of control over the situation and reduce anxiety.

Try to answer questions slowly, in a clear and understandable language, without using complex words and phrases. If the child does not understand the word “virus”, we can say that it is such a microbe that makes people sick. Needless to say, you can die from a coronavirus. It’s better to say that most people recover well, and children generally get sick rarely and easily (that's true!).

Preschoolers do not always know how to distinguish fantasies from reality, so limit their access to news. As in babies, non-verbal signs of anxiety may also appear in preschoolers, for example, reluctance to go to kindergarten, moodiness and tearfulness. Therefore, maintaining the daily regimen becomes even more important.

Primary School

Most likely, school-age children will worry much more about coronavirus than preschoolers. They may fear that not only their parents or friends will fall ill and die, but they themselves. Or they heard that older people die from pneumonia caused by coronavirus, and so they worry about their grandparents.

Therefore, you need to honestly, calmly and in an accessible manner, without exaggeration and excessive emotions, explain to the child everything that happens, convincing that all adults do everything in their power so that nothing bad happens to him.
Tell us about preventative measures that prevent the spread of the virus. Remind that you are always ready to answer any questions.

high school

Older children are likely to be aware of what is happening. They read news on the Internet and discuss them with friends and on social networks. Talk with the child, answer all his questions. Children in this age group may worry about the future, so try to stick to the facts and not burden the child with their fears about possible apocalyptic scenarios.

Discuss with your child what he read on the net or saw on TV, help him figure out which sources you can trust and which ones you should not.

You can also discuss with your child how the world is changing because of a pandemic, what phobias and dangerous stereotypes appear in people in such a situation, and talk about positive examples of behavior. If you notice signs of anxiety in a child, try to ask him how he feels and explain that these emotions are quite natural.

Teens

Older schoolchildren may worry how a pandemic will affect not only their lives, but the whole world, so discuss with them everything that happens on an equal footing. However, some teenagers will pretend that all this does not interest them at all. But it can be just a mask under which fear is hidden. Humor helps some teens cope with the situation.

In any case, it’s worth trying to start a serious conversation with them, to discuss everything that is shown on television or published on the network, to talk about the political and economic consequences of the pandemic, about the emotions that they experience about this.

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Named a way to recognize coronavirus in children

Pediatrician and TV presenter Yevgeny Komarovsky told how COVID-19 occurs in children and how to recognize coronavirus infection in them, writes "RIA News".

The child’s body, as a rule, is easier to carry the virus, the doctor said on his Instagram. He added that COVID-19 in young patients is most often similar to ARVI.

Komarovsky specified that when infected with coronavirus, they often have vomiting and diarrhea. The danger lies in the fact that the causative agent of the disease is excreted for a long time with feces.

“Children in the outbreak should be examined for any incomprehensible symptoms, changes in the frequency or rhythm of breathing, any problems with stool,” the doctor emphasized.

He noted that almost all cases of death of children from COVID-19 are associated with severe pathologies that are not related to the virus.

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