Supportive adults such as parents, caregivers, and teachers have an important role in communicating with children and providing them with support to help them manage their responses to COVID-19. The Substance Abused Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recently released their talking tips to help parents and other supportive adults to communicate effectively with children and youth of different age groups:
Preschool Children (0-5 years old)
- Get down to their eye level and speak calmly, only using words that they understand
- Ensure them that you care and will continue to care for their safety
Early Childhood to Adolescence (6-19 years old)
- Ask your child what their worries are and what will help them cope with their feelings
- It is okay to appropriately talk to them about your own worries and anxieties
Additionally, it is important to make sure that you don’t say things that you don’t have control over. For example, here are some things that are unhelpful to say to children:
- “Don’t worry.”
- “You have nothing to be afraid of.”
- “Everything is going to be fine.”
- “I promise this will be over soon.”
