I am slapping a disclaimer on this one. I am far from an expert on how to educate our kids about COVID-19. I am just a dad, along with a mom, trying to figure out what our kids should know about the current state of the world and how to explain it in a way that makes sense to a couple of toddlers. Fortunately, there are a lot of great kid-friendly resources out there. And it turns out that our kids already know quite a bit. So lets not underestimate their ability to understand the situation, or their desire to help.
Fist off, kids already know that getting sick is a bad thing. Nobody likes a tummy ache. They also already know the single most important thing we can do to protect ourselves from getting sick, be it from coronavirus or any germ for that matter – WASH YOUR HANDS! And just in case anyone needs a refresher, Pinkfong has us covered (by planting that incessant earworm, more infectious than the coronavirus itself, do do doo do do…)
Another video my 3-year-old cant get enough of is this cute little animation from the WHO (no, not The Who) on how-to protect yourself from COVID-19.
Kids also already know the importance of chicken wings. Chicken wings, you ask? (Its OK, I didn’t know either). “Chicken wings” is how kids these days learn how to sneeze into their elbows. You know, like they have a chicken wing.
What about how to explain what a virus is? This is where we’ve turned to some good old fashioned Netflix. There is a really good Ask the Story Bots episode that answers the question, “How do people catch a cold?” It is a great lesson in germs, personal hygiene, and how your immune system works to kick some viral butt. More great news; the episode is free to watch on YouTube!
For the super science-loving kid (what kid isn’t), LiveScience has created an “ultimate kids guide to the new coronavirus” and an amazing infographic that I posted below, because it’s too cool not to post.
It seems the hardest part of all this for our kids to understand is why they cant go to school, see their friends, go to the playground, go bowling, etc. And this is where it gets tricky. We don’t want to frighten them, but the whole idea of not being able to leave your home is scary, even for adults. We’ve told them that stores and playgrounds are closed, and families are staying home, just to be safe. Of course, with the news constantly on in the background, our 5-year-old is quick to point out that “we know… its because of the virus.”
Maybe for some of the older kids, it might be worthwhile explaining that most children and mommies and daddies wont get too sick if they catch the virus. But that we have to be extra careful not to get our grandmas and grandpas sick. Like I said, its tricky.
I know this post has been a bit of a departure from the rest of the site, but hey, its been a long few weeks and everyone can use a little Baby Shark right now. It is a difficult situation but it also happens to be an incredible learning opportunity for everyone, kids included. After all, they may very well be the ones preventing the next pandemic. And since our kids are not in school, us parents have an even bigger role to play in teaching them about this. So lets make the most of it. Go squeeze yourself in between the kiddos on the couch and enjoy some Story Bots together.
