Kindness Kit #1: Kindness in Social Distancing
Please use the following resources as a guide to facilitate meaningful discussions with your families.
How to Talk to Your Child About Coronavirus
PBS Kids has a great resource on how to talk to your kids about coronavirus, including helpful strategies, videos, songs and books from characters like Elmo, Daniel Tiger, and Curious George!
The National Association of School Psychologists released a tip sheet for talking with children about Coronavirus on February 29, 2020. You can view that document here for specific talking points and additional resources. The main takeaways from their presentation include:
Modeling calm and reassuring verbal and nonverbal behavior. Children will respond by watching how the adults in their lives and will look to us for information and guidance.
Listening and allowing children to talk about their feelings.
Being available and allowing for time to give children extra attention.
Avoiding blame and keeping our comments compassionate.
Limiting and monitoring social media and television news story access. Be sure to clarify and discuss what children are hearing and seeing on the news.
Maintaining a regular schedule and providing consistency.
Being honest and giving children accurate information.
Teaching hygiene and healthy lifestyle practices.
Communicating with children in an age-appropriate way. Brief, simple statements are best.
Another great resource is Talking With Children: Tips for Caregivers, Parents, and Teachers During Infectious Disease Outbreaks by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration.