Coronavirus is currently causing a serious health concern for many people. However, this situation may be more critical for many children who listen to the news and feel that fear surrounds them.
So how can parents help their children manage their fears by continuing to be aware of the situation?
Know When and When Not to Bring Up the Subject
For children who already express anxiety, parents should be ready to overcome this fear. However, if the child does not express his fear, families are often undecided about whether to talk about it or not. Families need to be aware that their children may have concerns, even if they do not mention them.
Just because children do not talk about this issue does not mean that they do not have questions in their minds.
They should be communicated with openly because this In this way, they can come to you with questions, and if you think it is necessary and will help, you can raise the subject with them.
You should also have knowledge about the subject beforehand in order to answer the questions your child may ask.
Be Attuned to Children's Emotions
Give space and time for children to express their feelings:
Approve, normalize, empathize with your children's emotions (yourself instead).
Encourage your children to cry.
It's okay to cry with your children. Crying with your children can be healthy because they see that you can cry too, and remember, you are okay too.
Tell your child, “All your feelings are normal. You can have these feelings and still be okay. Your feelings will come and go. In this case, it might be good to have a good cry. Say, "I'm here for you."
Make Sure You Understand the Risks
Before talking to children about what they see in the news or hear from their peers, you should make sure they understand the virus.
If they answer their questions. If you want to answer honestly, you can take a look at the information provided by official sources.
Currently, since the virus is a respiratory virus, you can check the information provided by official sources. and also say that it may not cause symptoms or may have mild to severe symptoms.
You can give an example by comparing the virus with other viruses such as the flu virus, and mention that issues such as hand hygiene are the most important issue to prevent the virus.
You should also teach them how to wash their hands for 20 seconds after using the toilet, before eating, and after being in public places.
Teach them not to touch their mouth, eyes, and nose.
The language you will use;
“Coronavirus is a rapidly spreading disease. While some people get sick very little, some people get sick more. But smart people all over the world are talking and working together to solve this problem.”
“When so many people work together, their determination is like a superpower. But we have to be patient, because it will take some time for them to solve the problem.”
“Our family is very strong, we will overcome this together.”
“Mothers, fathers, teachers and other adults keep children safe and They work together to keep you healthy.”
“You are not alone, we love you very much.”
“Our world has been through times like these, and many people worked hard until they found a solution.”
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Bond
Your children feel better when they bond with you. Turn this time of social distancing into a time of bonding through shared meals, games, and conversations with your children.
Find gentle ways to redirect and manage behavior:
“Connect, then redirect.” For example, hug your child who is not sharing and then say “you are a good kid, now please play with your sibling.” you can say.
Offer of Agreement:For example, “let's make a deal. How about doing half your schoolwork now and half after dinner?
Ask to do it again: For example, “This is not good behavior. Let's do it again, Please repeat with kind words.”
Share an chores: Involve your children in daily activities like cooking or folding laundry. Chat, make jokes and have fun.
Play games together: Play dough, imaginary soup, hand clapping game, blowing bubbles, blanket tent are some of them.
When school is home and home is school…
Your children may have a hard time being there to help them during class. Because they may miss their teachers, their friends, and the school day.
Pay attention to your children's sadness about this different situation.
Help them with their studies, but maintain a healthy perspective during schoolwork. Your bond is more important than their academic success.
Give your children and teenagers some options when it comes to their studies. Let them choose a topic or choose where to study.
Relax some social media rules so they can connect with their friends.
When it's time to sleep and work, keep strict rules about putting electronic devices and games aside.
Having the Talk
As parents, you need to listen to children's fears and not ignore them. You can achieve this with active listening practice.
So, you should listen to your child carefully and show that you understand his/her feelings out loud. Mirroring them will make them feel understood.
You can help them understand the facts instead of rumors and misinformation, and you should do this in accordance with their development.
This process requires you to manage your own fears about the disease. That's why you need to educate yourself first and learn how to protect yourself.
When a parent is anxious, the child also perceives this anxiety and has this anxiety, no matter how well he masks and hides his anxiety. Since their ability to express themselves verbally is not like that of adults, they show their negative emotions through destructive behavior.
Therefore, the current ha If information increases your anxiety, you can limit the information you receive from social media and news channels to 1-2 hours. Limit your child's access to news. Observe every topic they watch on the screen.
If your child has started to show panic attacks and phobias about the coronavirus, you may need to see a therapist to help both you and him/her. Get social support from people who have similar feelings to you.
The important thing is to maintain and strengthen open communication as a family.
If your child is experiencing anxiety and anxiety, you do not want them to continue. Talk about these fears, use available information to alleviate the fears if possible, and do not hesitate to turn off the news if necessary. For the sake of both you and your child's mental health, getting out of the current news cycle can significantly help you cope with negative emotions.
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