How Should We Treat Children During the Coronavirus Process?

The outbreak of coronavirus in Turkey created an atmosphere of fear and panic affecting people of all ages. While adults manage their fears by following the virus through reliable news portals, children struggle to manage their anxiety. Often they feel greater fear and worry because they do not understand what is happening. Neurologist Dr. Mehmet Yavuz, who emphasizes that children should be kept away from misinformation and their minds should not be confused, explained the path parents should follow and provided important guidance.

Make children feel safe

Children should be told in a way they understand about the virus's name, where it came from, how it spreads to people, what effects it has on infected individuals, and how it is treated. At this point, since the child is facing a situation they have never experienced before, they will be afraid. You should make them feel that you are always with them, that you have taken the necessary precautions and measures, and that they are safe. The unknown enemy causes more fear. Therefore, help your child get to know the virus. Ask your child if they have heard the name coronavirus and what they know about it—if there is something they have misunderstood, you can correct it. After that, you can explain that this is a common virus in the world, that it makes people sick, and that healthcare institutions and workers are healing these patients, so they need not be afraid. Particularly, you can tell them that as long as they have family, loved ones, and healthcare workers, they will be protected and cared for.

Questions children ask reveal their fears

Even if children do not watch news or have no connection to social media, they will somehow become aware of this situation. Even if you think your children have not noticed this, children can understand the fear and anxiety in their parents. At this point, through their questions, they try to understand and learn about the situation. The answers you give to your child's questions are very critical. For example, your child may ask you questions like "Mom, are you sick, will you die, will I die too?" In this case, you should neither paint a rosy picture nor create a fear scenario. You should say that you are not sick but that this virus can make you sick if precautions are not taken, and you should make your child feel that you will always be there for them.

Make an effort to spend more time with your children

We are currently in a crisis, and children are affected by this crisis. At this point, managing the crisis well plays a vital role. We should make children feel that their worries are justified. Because children are aware of more things than we think. Therefore, we should focus on easing their concerns and calming them. During this period, since we will be at home, we should spend more time with them, play games, and create shared moments. In fact, by transferring the anxiety children experience into play—for example, if you notice that your child is saying something to their toy doll about coronavirus, we can follow a roadmap by trying to calm the toy doll and alleviate the doll's anxiety.

Stay true to your old routine

Although we are living through an extraordinary period, we should not abandon our routines and should not disturb the order to which our child is accustomed. Because routines and habits make your child feel safe. Rather than leaving your child feeling helpless and confused in an unfamiliar situation, they find themselves in a safe haven at home. When there are predictable flows within an unpredictable life, the child finds security.