Page 32 - aruba today

A32 FEATURE
Saturday 14 March 2020
Talking to kids about virus? Experts say be calm and honest

By CLAUDIA LAUER children, to ask whether
Associated Press they have questions and to
It was a routine game of stress safety, said Dr. Jamie
schoolyard tag — except Howard, a clinical psychol-
the children had dubbed ogist at the nonprofit Child
this version “coronavirus.” Mind Institute. The institute
The kids ran around and and the Centers for Disease
tagged one another, but Control and Prevention
instead of being “it,” they both offer tips on talking to
“caught” the virus. children.
Children like the ones a re- Some teachers and coach-
porter saw playing recently es are working to dispel any
at a school in Washington, idea that the virus, which
D.C., are becoming more was first recorded in China,
aware of the coronavirus is tied to ethnicity or race.
— though they may not Seattle Public Schools post-
fully understand it or know ed on its website that mis-
how seriously to take it — as information has led to fear
it begins to affect their dai- and hostility, and it urged
ly lives with school closures students to combat racism
and event cancellations, and bias.
restrictions on travel, and “We are aware of reports
the NBA nixing the rest of its that some of our Asian stu-
season. In this March 7, 2020 file photo, a swing sits empty on a playground outside Achievement First dents have been targeted
Many parents are now de- charter school in Providence, R.I. and discriminated against
ciding how to talk to their Associated Press in connection to COVID-19.
children about the virus. coronavirus, which causes advice is to be reassuring, information about how this This is unacceptable and
Some said they are check- a disease called COVID-19, focus on proactive steps might impact her life even contrary to our values of
ing in daily, while others results in only mild or mod- and do research to truthful- if we don’t know exactly racial equity and social jus-
worry talking about it could erate symptoms, such as ly answer children’s ques- how yet.” tice,” district leaders wrote.
make their kids more anx- fever and cough. For oth- tions. McEvoy, 38, works as a Lacy Hilbrich’s two daugh-
ious or fearful. ers, especially older adults In Kathleen McEvoy’s paraprofessional at a dif- ters, ages 14 and 18, are
“We talk about it a lot. and people with existing house in Norton, Massachu- ferent school district and part of an online school
I watch the news every health problems, it can setts, she and her husband, said some second grad- that has students from all
morning, and they’re al- cause more severe illness, Thom Daly, decided they ers had talked about how over the world. They live
ways watching it, too,” said including pneumonia. wanted to talk with their they thought the virus was near Houston, but some of
Nicole Poponi, mother of The vast majority of people 8-year-old daughter, Ken- spread. Some thought they her daughters’ classmates
Clara, 10, and Jane, 12, in recover. According to the nedy, before something could catch it from eat- are in countries where there
the Philadelphia suburb of World Health Organiza- like a quarantine or school ing Chinese food or from are quarantines in place.
Audubon, New Jersey. tion, which has declared closure was announced. touching bats or pigs. The virus, she said, has been
Both girls said they’ve talk- the outbreak a pandemic, “We thought it would be The teacher spent some part of her family’s daily dis-
ed a little about the virus people with mild illness re- confusing and scary for a time searching for an age- cussion.
at school, but Jane, who cover in about two weeks, kid if they were told that appropriate video to help “In our family we all talk
is a few grades ahead, while those with more se- school has to be closed for them understand how the about it, so it’s pretty open
said she has talked about vere illness may take three two weeks,” McEvoy said. virus is actually spread, and so they’re not hid-
it much more, including in to six weeks to recover. “We felt like it was impor- McEvoy said. ing anything from us,” said
science lessons. Child psychology experts’ tant ... to give her a lot of It’s important to reassure daughter Ally, 14. “And I
“I’m not really as scared think that’s helped a lot.”
of it. It’s still not even that Parents should explain that
many people getting sick measures like wearing face
here. And it’s less danger- masks and closing schools
ous than the flu,” Jane said. are preventative and
“One of my friends is really temporary, Howard said.
scared of it, but she’s hon- She urged them to take a
estly really scared of all dis- page from Mister Rogers,
eases.” who taught kids to “focus
Beth Young, who lives in on the helpers” — what
Fort Mill, South Carolina, doctors, teachers, parents
said she has decided to and scientists are doing to
limit the conversation with keep them safe. Whatev-
her four kids, ages 8, 10, 12 er the conversation looks
and 15. like, Howard said, parents
“I don’t want to doom and should not collude in their
gloom them into being child’s anxiety by refusing
afraid of getting sick be- to go outside or by buying
cause, let’s face it, kids get masks. “In doing those be-
sick pretty often,” she said. haviors, you’re saying this
“And I don’t need a sniffle is really dangerous and we
to turn into them worrying really are in danger right
about dying.” In this Tuesday, March 10, 2020 file photo, the playground at Lowell Elementary School in Tacoma, now,” she said. “And that’s
For most people — includ- Wash. not true, and it will make
ing children — the new Associated Press them more anxious.”q