By Kristen LeFevers
Fight fear, as well as the new coronavirus, with information. But not too much, and keep it age-appropriate, says Jennifer Randall Reyes, a behavioral health clinician at WVU’s Health Sciences Center.
“Facts decrease anxiety,” she said. With the spread of COVID-19 dominating headlines and disrupting everyday lives, it’s easy to feel anxious.
Talk about these subjects in ways that decrease anxiety and reinforce healthy habits, for both children and adults:
— “Kids are like adults — they want to know what’s going on,” Randall Reyes said, but limit their electronic time. “Keep them as far away from the news as possible.”
Instead, parents should talk to their kids about why they’re staying home, to protect the most vulnerable — the elderly and the immune-suppressed.
— She also said that children can get sick from the virus and need to know that. “Acknowledge it as fact, but tune in to their level.” She even suggested setting aside time each day, as a family, to discuss questions or concerns that the children might have.
“Be as honest as you can without increasing their anxiety,” she said. Also, use words children understand. “Anxiety is an adult word. Stress and worry are more age-appropriate.”
— For teenagers, parents should monitor what news outlets their children are accessing on their devices.
— Don’t just tell children to wash hands. Do it with them. It is easy to forget the basics in a time of crisis, even for adults, she said. Modeling healthy habits, rather than just talking about them, benefits everyone.
— Get good sleep.
— Play.
“Kids’ learning language is play,” she said.
If parents can bring an element of fun to healthy habits, they should.
Encourage children to think of five ways to turn a light switch off or without touching it, for example. “Make a game of it.”
Kristen LeFevers is a senior in English at the University of Charleston.