Talking
to Pre-K Kids, Elementary School Pupils, Middle Schoolers, and High School
Students about the Novel Coronavirus 2019: An Almost Exhaustive Annotative
Bibliography
Evelyn
E. Smith, Ph. D.
When I cautioned a class
of sneezing and coughing sixth-grade language arts students last Friday not to
touch their faces because doing so might mean they could possibly catch the
coronavirus, one student quickly objected to this unsolicited advice, “But I
like to touch my face. Is it because it might cause pimples? Whereupon she
demonstrated this, moving her hands all over her face, rubbing her nose and
touching her mouth! Her response thus provided
the inspiration for this blog entry: Adults need to talk to kids about COVID-19
in a way they can understand the danger it poses and how to prevent its spread without
traumatizing them.
Even though parents are this
blog’s primary target audience, teachers might benefit from reading it as well.
Accordingly, at the end of the blog page, middle school and high school
teachers will find a wide selection of free-of-charge lesson plans that will
provoke challenging discussions and promote critical thinking skills.
Additionally, the Center
for Disease Control (CDC) and The New York Times publish regular
updates on the COVID-19 virus.
Bonding
Over Talks About COVID-19
Pediatric psychologist
Molly Gardener recommends, “Stay informed, keep perspective, and be honest”
since children’s “emotions feed off their parents’ [and teachers’] emotions.
Make sure the conversation
fits the children’s [mental and emotional] age.
Most teens can hand frank
discussions, although adults should ask if they are worried about any rumors or
news they might have heard or read.
Parents and mentors of
elementary school children as well as preschoolers should listen to find out
what they already know about the coronavirus and discuss what they fear
most. Do not sugar coat the discussion
and be afraid to use words like “death” and “dying”.
Emphasize the importance
of doing everything possible to stay healthy.
The New York Times
provides various links about coronavirus-19 that parents might wish to click on
before and after the article.
Assess what your
child knows:
Start by asking about
what the child knows about COVID-19. Parents, however, might not want to bring
up the topic if children are under age six and haven’t heard anything about it.
*Note:
Parents, however, can start to teach good hygiene habits like when and how to
wash one’s hands and coughing and sneezing into one’s elbow.
Process your own
anxiety first:
·
An anxious demeanor might unnecessarily stir
up a child’s fears.
Don’t dismiss your
child’s fears:
· Actively listen and respond to what
children are saying instead of belittling their concerns, perhaps citing
instances of how they dealt with their own childhood fears after hearing
frightening news stories.
·
Gear any discussions to an age-appropriate
level; for instance, depending upon a child’s age, explaining how the COVID-19
virus is different from the cold or flu.
Emphasize good hygiene:
·
Stress the necessity of washing one’s hands
at least 20 seconds before and after meals, after going to the bathroom or
blowing one’s nose or putting a hand over the nose or mouth.
·
Everyone can sing “Happy Birthday” twice
when vigorously washing hands under running water. Parents may want to avoid using a hand
sanitizer with a younger child since it needs to evaporate fully to destroy any
viruses or bacteria.
·
Some child psychologists suggest turning
hand washing into a game.
·
Parents might need to also explain why a nose-picking
kid needs to break this unsanitary habit.
When schools do close,
maintain a daily routine that includes regular exercise. Children might keep a journal and/or write or
draw to relieve anxiety.
For additional help, The
New York Times recommending accessing the Netflix “Ask for the Story Bots”
called “How Do People Catch A Cold” for help in explaining how germs work.
Keep
Calm and Carry on Emphasizing Good Health Habits
Explain what is happening
“as calmly and accurately as possible,” counsels pediatric psychologist Jill
Falstad.
Be honest, not
alarming
Since young [and either
very imaginative or emotionally immature] children fill in information gaps
with fantasy, tell them only about what can be explained by a verified,
reliable source.
Examples:
If children notice that
hand sanitizers are missing from supermarket shelves, explain the steps the
family is taking to keep everyone safe.
If the children’s school
cancels classes, emphasize that this is a step that adults took to keep the
community from getting sick. Then plan
together some meaningful stay-at-home activities that they can do when not
going to class.
Coronavirus
symptoms and prevention
Ask children to share if
they do not feel well, explaining COVID’s early symptoms--fever and coughing
that eventually leads to difficulty breathing.
Remember only to give them the information that they can emotionally and
mentally handle.
Explain limiting
person-to-person contact and emphasize the necessity of vigorously washing
their hands. For instance, explain and
model singing the “Happy Birthday” song or “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” while
washing the hands with soap under running water for 20 seconds.
Be available to talk
about whatever worries children might have.
Remember that children
listen when adults are talking amongst themselves. Moreover, even very young children pick up
non-verbal cues and body language.
Main Points:
1) Listen
to children’s fears and not dismiss them.
2) Before
talking to children about COVID-19, read up on the facts about the virus first.
Although this undated
article gives the risk of “catching” COVID-19 in the United States as
relatively low, it still brings up some helpful tips:
Stay on the to of
the COVID-19 outbreak:
Healthline and other Online sources
(including the Centers for Disease Control and The New York Times) send
out daily newsletters on the virus.
Know whether or
not to broach the subject:
Help children work
through their fears since they may have concerns even if they do not voice
them, according to psychotherapist Haley Neldich.
Adults need to first make
sure they understand the risks.
To be able to answer questions
honestly go to reputable news sources; for example, the Center for Disease
Control (CDC) explains that COVID-19 is a respiratory virus that if severe
enough can cause pneumonia.
Also, emphasize that
people infected with the virus might not show any symptoms of have symptoms
ranging from mild to severe.
Compare COVID-19 with
other viruses like influenza and explaining washing the hands regularly for 20
seconds after using the bathroom, before eating, or touching surfaces is an
important way everyone can keep from getting the disease. Additionally, stress that they should not
touch their mouth or rub their nose or their eyes.
Having the Talk
Actively listen to
children’s fears and not dismiss them, helping children understand age and emotionally
and intellectually appropriate facts about COVID-19.
Adults also must monitor
and control their own fears about COVID-19
Maureen Healy admits that
most people need not be alarmed if they practice good hygiene habits and keep a
safe distance from anyone else showing symptoms, citing the World Health
Organization recommendation to stay three feet away with any one with possible
COVID-19 symptoms: fever, coughing or
shortness of breath.*
1) Facts
Currently, no vaccine for COVID-19 exists,
and most people infected with the virus will fully recover.
Older adults [starting at age 60] and
individuals with underlying health problems might find it difficult to recover
after being infected with the virus, however.
2) Healthy
Hygiene
Medical professionals recommend
a) Washing
the hands for 20 seconds with soap and water after using the bathroom, before
eating, or upon covering a cough or sneeze with one’s hands,
b) Avoiding
close contact with anyone else who is coughing, sneezing, or showing signs of
any respiratory illness, including a cold or the flu,
c) Giving
children vitamins, especially those with immune-boosting Vitamin C,
d) Wearing
a face mask if showing signs of any respiratory illness.
3) Preparedness:
Keep aware of local COVID-19 “community
outbreaks” that may close schools and have on hand a supply of books, card and
board games, and art supplies to occupy children who need to stay at home.
*While
WHO recommends staying three feet away from all other people, the CDC
recommends keeping a social distance of six feet. This holds true even if others show no symptoms
of COVID-19.
While
Keeping Kids Informed, Share Some Family Fun!
Over exposure to news
reports and adult conversations about COVID-19 might make children feel anxious,
so parents need to acknowledge this concern without showing any anxiety they
possibly might have. Failure to do so
will not calm their children’s fears, nor will it reduce their risk of catching
any respiratory illnesses.
If parents look worried,
their children’s anxiety naturally rises.
Children on the other hand need to hear factual, age appropriate
information about COVID-19 as well as how to avoid catching all communicable
diseases.
Specific Guidelines
Remain calm and reassure
the children:
1) Children
will be aware of both verbal and nonverbal cues, so explanations will either
increase or decrease their anxiety.
2) Emphasize
that adults both at home and at school want to keep everyone safe and healthy.
Make yourself available:
Anxious children may need
extra attention, so parents should give their children lots of affection and spend
time talking with them, letting children know that a loved one is listening.
Avoid excessive
blaming:
1) Avoid
stereotyping, making any group of people responsible for causing or spreading
the illness.
3) Be
aware of what other adults are saying around your children since a mom or dad might
need to explain some of what adults have said about COVID-19.
Monitor television
viewing and social media:
1) Limit
TV and internet access.
2) Discuss
any news stories older children might have read or heard.
3) Relay
fact-based information about COVID-19 to reduce anxiety.
4) Constantly watching updates, however, might increase unwarranted fears.
5) Also
understand that age-inappropriate news increases young children’s worries.
6) Distract
children that otherwise might be glued to their cell phones of the internet
with other activities.
Note:
activities that family members of all ages might share in comparative isolation
might include for following ideas; for instance,
·
Plant a healthy vegetable garden or a flower container garden,
·
Turn pulling weeds into a family sing
along,
·
Teach the kids to play dominoes, checkers,
or chess or various card games,
·
Everyone in the family could also learn
how to crochet or knit,
·
Prepare the family’s long-time favorite
recipes,
·
Walk the dog if it is possible to do so
without walking down a busy sidewalk,
·
Watch classic movies together like The
Wizard of Oz and/or The Sound of Music.
·
Check out some library books Online or else read from copyright free classics, taking turns reading aloud with the kids at least 20 minutes a day.
See
In
other words, turn what otherwise what might be a scary time for children into a
bonding experience.
7) Reassess
one’s own practices [and model] a healthy lifestyle.
Encourage good
hygiene habits:
Wash hands for at least
20 seconds, singing “Happy Birthday” or “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” twice.
*For
a list of alternate 20-second hand washing tunes and lyrics go to
Martin,
Catherine. (2020, March 10). Tired of ‘Happy
Birthday’? Here are 12 songs from Texas
musicians to help you wash your hands.
Dallas Morning News.
Explain
why everyone should cover the mouth with a tissue when sneezing and coughing,
throwing it away immediately or else sneezing into the bend of an elbow.
Do not share food or
drink [Admittedly, with some upper elementary and lower middle school students
this is an up-hill battle].
Fist or elbow bump rather
than shaking hands:
Upon
review, most adults would not consider sticking out one’s tongue as socially
acceptable.
Teaching children
what they can do to avoid catching viruses gives them a greater sense of
control and reduces anxiety.
1) Make
sure everyone eats a balanced diet, gets enough sleep, and exercises regularly
to build up their immune systems.
2) Discuss
new rules or practices at school.
Schools may
enforce illness prevention habits:
The school nurse or principal
may send home a letter or e-mail parents about any new rules and practices.
Communicate with
your child’s school:
1) Phone
or e-mail the teacher or counselor if your scholar is sick since administrators
might need to know if the child has fever.
2) Consult
the school nurse, counselor, psychiatrist, or social worker if your child
experiences any COVID-19 anxiety-related stress.
3) Follow
all the school’s instructions.
Take time to talk:
1) Patiently
let your child’s question guide how much information you relay about COVID-19.
Give the facts without causing a lot of stress.
2) Keep
explanations age appropriate.
3) Early
elementary pupils need to hear simple, easily understanding explanations; for
example, teach them step-by-step instructions on how and when to wash their
hands and how to cover a sneeze of cough.
4) Upper
elementary and middle-school students like to take a more active role in asking
questions, although they may need help in telling the difference between
fantasy and reality.
5) Upper
middle school and high school students are better equipped emotionally and
intellectually to discuss the COVID-19 virus in depth and can access
appropriate sources.
Suggested points to
emphasize when talking to children:
1) Explain
that concerned adults both at home and school are trying to keep them safe and
healthy.
2) Emphasize
that not everyone will catch COVID-19, but almost everyone everywhere is
working to make sure that COVID-19 will infect as few people as possible.
3) Children
need to respect one another’s feelings and leap to the conclusion that someone
has COVID-19 just because they hear a cough or a sneeze.
Children need to learn
how to take steps to ensure their own health:
1) avoiding
close contact with people who shows signs of a cold or flu [as well as keeping
a social distance from others during epidemics],
2) staying
home when sick,
3) covering
the mouth when coughing or sneezing and throwing tissues in the trash after
blowing one’s nose or coughing or sneezing into tissues,
4) Not
touching the eyes, ears, and mouth,
5) Washing
hands rubbing vigorously with soap and water for 20 seconds,
6) If
soap is unavailable, using a 60 to 90 percent alcohol-based hand sanitizer,
7) Cleaning
and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces.
Free
Lesson Plans on COVID-19
Web site provides free
lunch plans on COVID-19 for middle school and high school students ranging from
lesson plans that teachers can use in life science, government, history, language
arts/ English, and even math classes.
The Public Broadcasting
Service furnishes a free video that students can watch before answering
discussion questions. The Web page also
gives access to selected links to new articles.
