7 Scripts to Talk to Kids about the Coronavirus

Let’s talk. It’s hard to escape discussions of the coronavirus as it’s been provided in heaping bowlfuls from the news, to the internet to emails from the dentist, gym, school and soccer coach.

As a Child Development Specialist who directs parents to manage scary news from outside sources before it hits their children’s ears, this can be a challenge in today’s information-saturated world. What we do know is that we must talk to our children about the coronavirus so that they are not filling in the blanks themselves based on what they’ve heard from less credible sources or surmised from watching the panic around them. My own daughter came home from school having heard that someone contracted the virus in a town a half hour away and asked; “can we move?”

Anxiety is high. Rumors are rampant.

Children (and adults) are clearly getting frightened. Still, it can be challenging to know what to do and say to our kids about the coronavirus. We don’t want to alarm them but we do want them to be knowledgeable, vigilant and conscientious. We know we should shut off the news to assuage fears but we don’t want to keep them in the dark. So, what can we do and say to prepare them rather than scare them?

(1) Ask what they already know: Whenever talking to kids about tough topics, it’s important to first assess what they have already…