THE PARENTING BIZ
© Can Stock Photo/Konrad Bak
clean your hands after emptying a wastebasket. As a parent, your child depends on your comforting words and reassurance to make sense of the many public conversations surrounding COVID-19. Remember, your child looks to you for guidance and needs your affection and love. In a crisis situation, it is common for children to seek more attachment to their parents. This is an important time to make yourself available to listen and to talk with your child.
When talking to your child about COVID-19, here are some tips . . .
Questions On COVID-19?
How To Navigate The Coronavirus Disease With Your Child Supplied By The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU.org) n the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, your child may begin to worry about themselves, their family and friends, getting sick. Your child may not understand the reasoning for school closures, the cancellation of extracurricular activities, or why they can’t hug a grandparent right now. They are also absorbing a large amount of new information that can cause alarm. As your child’s role model, ensure you are taking the necessary precautions to reduce your own and your family’s risk. For example, make sure your family is practicing social distancing by staying at least two metres away from the nearest person. This helps reduce the spread! Also, this is a good time to teach your child about how to reduce their risk of illness. Remember to practice what you preach!
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When considering how to protect your child against COVID-19, here's some advice . . .
• Teach your child how to wash their hands with soap and water. • Show your child how to cover his or her cough by coughing into their upper sleeve or elbow. • Remind your child to sneeze into a tissue and
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to throw it away afterwards and immediately wash their hands. • Remind your child to avoid touching their eyes, nose or mouth. • Have your child stay away from sick people. • Teach your child what social distancing is and why it is important. • To reduce germs, wash your child’s toys according to the manufacturer’s instructions. • Be sure to clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
If your child has COVID-19, here are some guidelines on how to care for him/her . . .
• Wash your hands often and after each contact with your child. • Wear a mask and gloves when you have contact with your child’s saliva or other bodily fluids. • Dispose of your gloves and mask after each use. Take off your gloves first, wash your hands, then take off your mask and wash your hands again. • Avoid sharing household items, such as dishes, cups, eating utensils, towels, and bedding. • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces with regular household cleaners. • Wear gloves while washing laundry and clean your hands after taking off your gloves. • Be careful when you are removing waste and
B I Z X M A G A Z IN E • A P R IL / M A Y 2 0 2 0
• Emphasize to your child that they and your family are OK. • Avoid using language that might blame others. • Provide information that is honest and accurate. • Acknowledge your child’s fears. • Provide facts about what has happened. • Explain the overall risk of getting the virus. • Give clear information about how to reduce their risk of being infected. • In a reassuring way, explain what happens if they or a family member gets sick. • Discuss any questions your child may have. • Reassure your child that symptoms in children are generally mild. • Use words that your child understands. Are you experiencing higher levels of stress and anxiety considering the level of attention and seriousness being paid to COVID-19? Don’t worry, it is normal to have increased stress and anxiety in crisis situations. Try not to ignore or suppress these feelings, but be mindful that your child may sense a change and react to it. Remaining calm and providing reassurance can help you as a parent and also protect your child’s mental health. Providing a safe and supportive environment for your child to express and communicate thoughts and feelings can help him or her feel relief. During this difficult time, your child will most likely observe your behaviour and emotions to help them manage their own emotions. Keeping this in mind, make sure you continue to take care of yourself! To help manage your emotions, use the skills that you have built over time. Maintain a healthy lifestyle through proper
