This is a question that gets debated frequently in our house. We don't want to leave our kids in the dark about something, but giving them too much information may cause unnecessary worry or anxiety. Then there is the question about how much to share at each different age and stage. This makes my head spin just typing about this. AGH!!!
I am a firm believer that kids should be informed whenever possible. As parents, grandparents or teachers we often feel like we are protecting kids by not sharing things that we view as negative. And sometimes it probably does...at least for a little while. When I was a kid, my sisters and I grew up in a home where we rarely saw our parents argue. Did they disagree? Sure, but they saved those discussions for after us girls had gone to bed. This made for a very smooth childhood with no need to worry about divorce in our home. So what is the problem with that? As soon as I had my first disagreement with my now husband, I thought our relationship was doomed. This could never work...we argued! I found out a few years later that my sisters had similar feelings also. My parents had the best of intentions but didn't exactly show us the reality of relationships. Even the best marriages include disagreements. Because of this, I try to make it a point to show my kids a LITTLE more reality and not so much fairy tale.
As a teacher, talking to young students about lockdown drills was, unfortunately, something that was necessary in this day and age. I wanted them to be as prepared as they possibly could for what to do in the worst possible scenario. However, it was important for me to avoid oversharing so that I didn't end up making my students fearful about coming to school each day. For example, we could address a lockdown drill without describing a scenario in which a gunman is at our door and we need to hide from him.
In each of these situations, I believe that moderation is the key. Leaving kids in the dark about important topics could set them up for unrealistic expectations about life in the real world. On the other hand, offering up more information than necessary could do more harm than good.
Given the current health situation that is going on our kids are clearly aware that things are not normal. It's nearly impossible for them to go a day without hearing the word virus, seeing people wearing masks just to go in and out of stores, or wondering why they cannot see their grandparents or close friends. We should be talking to our kids about all of these things, while at the same time, being careful to remind them that we are taking all necessary precautions to keep them and their family members safe. Young children seem to accept very simple answers so be careful not to share more than they need to satisfy their questioning minds. As adults we sometimes think they need a big, scientific explanation and that is usually not what they are looking for. Some simple answers and a lot of reassurance can go a long way with the little ones.
Below are some videos that I found that could be helpful in explaining COVID-19 and quarantine to young kids. As always, please preview them yourself first to make sure you are comfortable with the information that is presented. (This is a good habit to always be in).
Simple version for young children:
This one would be good for a little bit older child:
Take care and stay healthy!!
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