How To Talk To Your Kids About COVID-19, From A Holistic Child Psychologist

As the coronavirus continues to spread, many schools, sports teams, and other community gatherings are taking precautionary measures, like social distancing.1 These changes, combined with misinformation, can be scary and confusing for children—so what’s the best way for parents to talk to their children about COVID-19? 

“If your child raises questions, that’s a great starting point,” Beurkens told us. Respond by answering the questions they’re asking, but don’t go overboard with information. 

According to Beurkens, it’s really important to be open and honest with kids about the coronavirus. “We don’t want to hide anything that’s going on,” she said, “but we also want to be factual and not alarmist.” 

If they’re not raising any questions, one way to bring it up is by saying "have you heard about this?" and assess what their knowledge is. 

One of the most important things parents can do is manage their own anxieties about COVID-19. “Be a model of not overreacting, stay rational and calm,” Beurkens said, “because kids will gauge and mimic how stressed their parents are.” 

Not only is stress management important for our kids’ mental health, but it can support our own physical health. In fact, “stress is the number one thing that suppresses our immune system and makes us more likely to get sick,” she said. “That’s the irony of this whole thing.”