Talking to kids about coronavirus

Caroline Watts, a practicing child therapist and Penn GSE’s Director of School and Community Engagement, shares how parents can address questions and fear around the virus.

Kids are going to have questions and fears about the COVID-19 virus. 

Caroline Watts, a practicing child therapist and Penn GSE’s Director of School and Community Engagement, says parents should be prepared to address three areas:

Concerned parent holding an adolescent child's hand and touching their forehead

“First, the health and safety issues at hand. What information and behaviors do we want to teach our kids?

“Secondly, I think about the emotional tone of things. How anxious am I? How anxious is my child? How anxious is the community they’re in? How can I help them feel stable, safe, and secure while also taking this very seriously?

“Third, I think about the context. This virus has brought out a lot of ugly rumors and prejudices, often directed at people from China or other Asian countries, as well as at Asian Americans. I want to make sure kids know that the virus doesn’t pick targets based on ethnicity."

Watts shares her suggestions for how parents can convey those messages to their kids in a thoughtful way.

Read more at Penn GSE.