Children often carry worries and fears that are beyond the scope that adults feel and have. It’s harder for kids to know the difference between what can rationally happen and what is irrational. As an example, kids often feel that keeping the light on in their bedroom protects them from some imaginary creature. This fear is wholly unfounded and would not be present in an adult.
A new virus can cause a lot of panic. With the amount of people talking about it, there’s no way to hide the sad fact from children that it’s spreading. Instead, it’s important to encourage rational thoughts about it and the effect it can have. While it is not effective to scare children in order to encourage them to protect themselves against it, it is effective to calmly let them know how to protect themselves. Here are 9 things you should tell kids about viruses:
1. Explain What a Virus Is in Simple Terms
Children do not want and often can’t understand a complex explanation. With that said, it largely depends on the age of the child. Giving them a complex explanation of what can go wrong may heighten their anxiety. Try explaining it to them without over dramatizing the situation. Consider talking about how it can physically effect people. It’s best to minimize the symptoms to create less fear than a child can handle; however, it is not okay to make them feel like getting a disease is safe.
Depending on the age of your child, he or she may not be able to understand the difference between viruses and bacteria. That doesn’t matter. In some ways they are the same concept. It’s best to use the word germs when explaining it to children. In short, germs are something that can get an adult, elderly person, or child sick.
2. Talk About How to Prevent Getting Sick
Kids are truly disgusting creatures. They eat their snot, roll in the mud, and some can’t even wipe themselves. While children, not babies, have a high rate of survival, that doesn’t mean there can’t be serious consequences from them getting sick. This especially goes for children with a disease or disability that puts them more at risk for severe symptoms.
Teaching children how to properly clean their hands can help a lot. There is actually a way to do this that allows them to see the benefit of doing so. Students in a microbiology class are often asked to wash their hands for 20 seconds and then hold it under a UV light. The UV light will show them the areas that aren’t washed. This is an excellent activity to do with children. For the most part, these students learn that their wrists and in-between their fingers are unwashed. Tell them that it is important to wash their entire hand.
Children are less likely to cover their mouth when they cough. It used to be said that covering your mouth with your hand is the best way to prevent the spread of germs. This is not true as viruses can live on surfaces. If your child touches a surface and then touches their mouth, they are more likely to get it. They can also infect others by coughing into their hand and then touching the surface, so make sure that children cough into their elbows, as they are much less likely to touch surfaces.
Generally, it’s important to let children know that they should touch as few surfaces as possible. Surfaces host virus and children are more likely to touch their face. They are also more likely to pick their nose. Try to encourage them to touch their face as little as possible, and if you cannot trust the child to do so, make sure that they use hand sanitizer or wash their hands frequently.
3. Talk to Them About How They Can Spread It to Other People
Do not tell kids that they are going to kill their grandma! With that said, it’s still wise to talk to them about how they can spread diseases to other people. It is especially important to talk to them about vulnerable populations. Tell them that they should be careful to wash their hands, especially when they are around the elderly. It is also important to let them know that they can spread virus to people without having it. It can live on surfaces like their hands without them catching it, if it does not come into contact with a part of their body that allows it to enter. Children need to understand that there are people more at risk than them.
Also, mention that it doesn’t matter who it is. Even if they spread it to people who are likely to survive, the person who they infect can spread it to someone who won’t. Young people, especially children, often feel like nothing can hurt them. There is this sense of immortality that is false and can be dangerous. While it’s certainly not an excellent idea to overly mention death to your child, it is still wise to get them to understand that some viruses can in fact be life threatening.
4. Tell Them to Avoid Certain Places
This is especially important with older children who have more freedom. Children who have more freedom should keep it. It isn’t right to ground your kid because of a disease they don’t have. With that said, it is wise to let them know they are more at risk at certain places. If you live in a city with public transportation, let them know that they need to be especially careful on the bus or any other type of transit, and that riding in a crowded subway car comes at a risk. The most important part is to let them know that they need distance from other people.
Some movie theaters close down in case of serious outbreaks, but not necessarily all of them. If there is not a good amount of space between people in the theater, tell the kids to avoid it. Most large events will be cancelled in the United States in the event of a pandemic, but you should still tell children to avoid taking any risks. There are exceptions to this rule. For instance, tell them to just be careful if it is a wedding or some other type of family function (unless the authorities have advised otherwise).
5. Let Them Know That They Are Unlikely to Get It
Again, do not incite panic. It is especially unlikely that your children will get it if you live in an area that isn’t high risk; however, they still need to know that it is possible to get infected. Caution should still be implemented. It is more important to increase the likelihood in your voice if you live in a high risk area. A high risk area is any major city, especially New York or Seattle. Also, tell your kids about how their immune system helps fight the viruses if they do happen to get infected.
6. Tell Your Kids to Avoid Physical Contact
Obviously, this does not go for people the children are close to. Kids often play games that require hand-holding with other children. It’s wise for them to avoid this activity in case of outbreaks, as viruses live on surfaces that come from the bodily fluids of other people. If the school where you live is open, press this even more.
7. Tell Them Not to Share Food
Sharing food can lead to infection. Viruses exist in saliva and can make someone sick if they swap it. Kids often share food as many adults do. It’s a sweet gesture of sharing; however, it is completely unsafe.
8. Teach Them That the Hysteria is Wrong
It’s scary to kids when they see that adults are frantic and terrified. During a pandemic, many are needlessly buying soap and toilet paper like it’s all going to be recalled. Tell your children that these actions are unnecessary and hurting the community. A virus requires simple measures to be avoided. The world will still be functioning during a crisis. Letting children know that food will still be available as well as other necessities will help calm them down during a difficult time.
As mentioned, hysteria hurts the community and hoarding is selfish. There are only so many containers of soap and toilet paper roles on the planet. Those in high risk populations need soap more and often cannot find it at the stores. Your child will be a better citizen if you remind them about the needs of others in the community. Part of how diseases spread is by other people not washing their hands. If they do not have soap, it makes it more likely your child will get sick.
9. Tell Them Not to Get Scared by the Masks
It can be frightful for a child to see people wearing masks. It makes them feel like they are walking through a hazmat zone everyday. Many diseases are not airborne and are transmitted by touching other people or surfaces that have the virus, and then touching the face afterwards. While it is wise to wear a mask if you have a virus yourself or are around someone who does, tell the kids that those who are wearing them are doing so even though it’s not necessary in most situations.
This can be very trying as the people with masks look like medical workers. Children who are afraid of the doctor can find these masks to be extremely triggering. You should especially try to calm down kids with this problem.
Final Things to Remember
Figuring out the proper way to talk to children about viruses can be extremely difficult, because they can pose a real threat. It is important that the children take it seriously. Remember that children aren’t just vulnerable physically. They are also vulnerable emotionally. While it is important to make sure they know how to not get sick and spread it, it is also important to make sure they do not feel an unnecessary amount of fear. Keeping them safe all boils down to:
- Cleanliness
- Cautiousness
- Understanding
- Not being overly frightful
You should have no problem protecting your kids with these tips in mind. It’s extremely important to explain this issue to them. We can all get through any epidemic with a proper amount of understanding and caution. It is unknown when a crisis will be over – it may take months or years. The things that are important to tell children now can change. Be sure that your child gets accurate and up to date information. Sometimes new viruses are discovered that people need vaccines for, however, they could take years to become available. When they become available, they will most likely only be given to those in a vulnerable population.
Certain things might happen that you know about viruses, which you should not tell your child about. To protect your children emotionally, hold back information that will cause them to predict a bleak future. Bring them up to date when the way they need to protect themselves changes. You should all be fine if you do what’s necessary to protect your child’s health. Keep calm and take care of yourself and your children.