Talking About Coronavirus With Young People

Support Strategies for Coronavirus

For Families:

• Develop a flexible but consistent daily schedule. This helps things feel less out of control and can be reassuring to the whole family.
• Find creative ways to stay connected with your family (e.g., video chat, board games, and puzzles).
• Try to provide reassurance to family members through kind words and closeness.
• Don't worry about "spoiling" a sick child or teen.
• Organize predictable and consistent check-ins with children and teens.
• Set time aside to spend with each child individually (even just 20 minutes).
• When possible, give your children choices.
• Praise your child when they are behaving well.
• Encourage social interactions while following social distancing guidelines. This could include video chats, online multiplayer video games, neighborhood scavenger hunts (e.g., placing objects or chalk drawings to find), etc.

For Parents and Caregivers:

• Try to eat regular, nourishing meals.
• Maintain a regular sleep schedule to the best of your ability. When possible, have the same wake up and bedtime each day. Avoid screens for an hour prior to sleep.
• Exercise when you are able.
• If possible, find a creative outlet to engage in during downtime.
• Engage with spiritual practices that you enjoy and find helpful.
• Stay in touch with supportive friends and family members.
• Develop a daily, ten-minute family check-in where each member can share suggestions for making things better. End the check-in with what is currently going well.
• If in a relationship, set aside a few minutes daily to check-in with your partner.

For Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers:

• Provide regular, nourishing meals.
• When possible, have the same wake up and bedtime each day. Avoid screens for an hour prior to sleep.
• Provide reassurance through physical closeness and comforting movements, such as rocking or swaying when holding.
• If possible, find a creative outlet to engage in, such as baking, "painting" the house with a paintbrush and bucket of water, and sensory play with a bin filled with rice or beans.
• Provide verbal reassurance (for children who understand language).
• If possible, video chat with friends and family.

For School-age Children:

• Provide regular, nourishing meals.
• Maintain a regular sleep schedule to the best of your ability. When possible, have the same wake up and bedtime each day. Avoid screens for an hour prior to sleep.
• Provide opportunities for exercise. Spend time outside when possible.
• If possible, find a creative outlet to engage in, such as writing and illustrating a book about pandemic experiences from a kid's perspective, drawing sidewalk chalk messages for neighbors, cooking, and baking.
• Provide verbal reassurance, but avoid unnecessary exposure to adult conversations and stressors.
• Engage children in spiritual practices you've found helpful for children.
• Set gentle but firm limits.
• If possible, video chat with friends and family.

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