How should we talk to our kids about the pandemic?

Here we are, living in the “new normal”, and we’ve been here for a while.  One thing that hasn’t changed though is that kids have lots of questions.  There’ve been some articles lately about good ways to talk to our kids about what’s happening.

The New York Times spoke with several psychologists who offered four ways to help an anxious child.

1. Label what’s happening – simply explaining what’s going on and what’s different now can help children deal with the changes.
2. Resolve your own anxiety – Kids can pick up on their parents’ insecurities, which can add to their own fears.  That can be a tricky one.
3. Teach your children mindfulness techniques – tricks like deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, or even yoga can help, depending on your kids’ age.
4. Create a schedule with pictures – kids need routine, and laying out the daily schedule with a few pictures can make it easier to understand.

The bottom line is making your kids feel safe.  Keep in mind their developmental stage.  You don’t want to overload them with info they might not be able to process yet.

As rough as it might seem, your kids are counting on you to help them through everything.  But you can do it!

Now dogs are another story.  Check back around this same time tomorrow for some stuff about that.