Coping with what鈥檚 happening in the world today can be hard on anyone, especially children, so it鈥檚 a good idea to set aside time to communicate with your kids about the coronavirus, says a child psychologist and associate professor of psychology at the University of Victoria.
鈥淲hen it comes to talking to children about COVID-19, I think No. 1, it鈥檚 important to put down the device and do the conversation thoughtfully,鈥� Dr. Jillian Roberts said. 鈥淭he first thing that really ought to come out of your mouth is that they鈥檙e safe and that everything is fine, everything will be fine.鈥�
Let them know that the government is doing what it can in order to keep people safe, Roberts said, and that it is trying to help with a lot of issues 鈥� such as getting money to people who aren鈥檛 able to work.
鈥淵ou might want to also tell children that doctors and nurses and everybody in the hospital are taking very good care of the people who do get sick.鈥�
As for the suspension of classes in B.C.鈥檚 60 school districts, Roberts suggests telling children: 鈥淒octors have told the government we need to make sure that people don鈥檛 go into large crowds, and that we鈥檙e not in places where there鈥檚 a lot of people because that鈥檚 how germs can be spread. And keeping people healthy is more important than school right now.鈥�
She advised parents to try to maintain a home routine for their children during the pandemic, with learning activities. She recommended that families focus on reading and doing math exercises with online apps that are available for different ages.
Adults are also suffering from problems such as anxiety amid the crisis, said Roberts, but being active can help. She also suggests reaching out electronically to people you might know who might be vulnerable. 鈥淒on鈥檛 hesitate from sharing positive messages on social media, encouraging messages,鈥� she said. 鈥淒o what you can to help the people around you.鈥�
It鈥檚 also helpful to stay busy in the home with projects, said Roberts, who says Canadians can take comfort that the government has taken strong action to stem the tide of COVID-19 cases.
鈥淲hen I look at what鈥檚 happening, I feel quite confident that our government has got a handle on this,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd I also feel confident that our medical services have a good handle on this.
鈥淚 feel yes, this is a worrisome time, but things are being well-controlled.鈥�
The Victoria office of the Canadian Mental Health Association recommends taking time to manage your mental health at what is an anxious and stressful time for everyone. 鈥淚t鈥檚 OK if you feel more anxious than usual,鈥� the CMHA said in a statement, suggesting doing art or exercises such as yoga to help manage stress. 鈥淵ou are doing the best you can in a time when simply turning on the news can feel overwhelming.鈥�
Denying what is happening in the world in order to reduce anxiety is the wrong way to go, the CMHA said. 鈥淲hen people deny the severity of a situation in order to avoid anxiety, they may do nothing, even ignoring recommendations from health authorities.鈥�
Jocelyn de Montmorency, Victoria office program manager with the CMHA, agreed that it鈥檚 important to stay connected. 鈥淓specially with older adults that are now isolated, and people are not coming to visit them,鈥� she said.
Stay informed about what鈥檚 going on without getting caught up in 24/7 news coverage, and try to have some sort of schedule with as many normal elements as possible, she said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e creatures of habit.鈥�
The CMHA offers an online course to deal with stress and anxiety at , while Roberts is gathering education and activity tips on her Dr. Jillian Roberts Facebook page.
