Kids & Coronavirus (3-15-20)

Kids & Coronavirus (3-15-20)

Covid-19 it's hard for adults to keep up...and even tougher for kids.

Many local children are on spring break right now, but if the news coverage is on, or they hear you talking about the virus....it's easy for them to become anxious.

So, what can parents do to calm their children's fears?

Kq2's jodie o'brien has the answer .

<<dr stephen lassen, a pediatric psychologist at the university of kansas health system, has some excellent advice for parents.

He says the best way to start is by simply asking your children what they know and going from there.

"asking a simple open-ended question such as what do you know about the coronavirus can really start that conversation."

He says it's vital that parents are reassuring their kids.

Children are looking at how their parents are reacting to the constant news, and lassen says it's important parents get their own anxieties in check before talking with their kids.

"epecially young children don't have the capacity to differentiate images from china versus down the street and time and location."

He also says it's important for parents to give their children something positive to do, such as practicing good hand hygiene by frequent hand washing and sneezing into their arms instead of the open air.

"but giving kids something to do is a real critical part of all this if if we just talk to them and say don't worry about it then guess what they're gonna worry about it because you've just told them it must be something to worry about."lassen reminds us there will be some kids who struggle more-those with pre exsisiting anxiety as well as children with chronic health conditions.

He says parents of those kids need to be extra careful and mindful..

"something it would want to prepare kids for this is what you might see and this is why you might see it and it's a good thing it's it's people just trying to be healthy and safe you know but it's a real thing isn't it...?"if school cancellations happen following spring break, lassen say it's important to maintain some consistency and regularity for them in their lives.

Jodie o'brien kq2