TALKING TO CHILDREN ABOUT COVID-19:
COPING WITH ITS PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT
Dr Geneviève Beaulieu-Pelletier, PhD, clinical psychologist
Dr Frédérick L. Philippe, PhD, professor-researcher, psychology, UQAM
We are currently confronted collectively to important
repercussions due to the propagation of the COVID-19. We
have to explain to our children why the school is closed; whytheir sports tournaments, the presentation of their shows,and so many other activities are cancelled; why can’t they goto the trampoline center or to cinema; why was the pizzadelivery guy wearing a mask; why do people constantly talkabout the virus on the radio?

How to explain COVID-19 to my child?
1. Explain
Explain that « there is a new virus, like the one of influenza. But
there is no vaccine yet to prevent us from being sick if we catchthe virus, because we don’t know it well enough for now. Whatis positive though, contrary to the usual influenza, is that we areable to restrain its influence if we can stop it from goingeverywhere. »Explain that the goal of the actual recommendations is toprevent the propagation of the virus, in order to protect more
vulnerable people.

2. Reassure and put it into perspective
What children hear about the current situation can trigger fears
with respect to their integrity and the one of their close others(“Will I be sick? And daddy? Do people die because of thisvirus?”).
The child may need to be reassured: S/He is not in danger, andneither are their parents, brothers, and sisters, because they arein good health. But there are more fragile people than them,such as people who already had health problems or importantdifficulties in their body.

3. Picturing
Explain how this virus spreads and why we
implement certain precautions for more fragile
people. Use images and metaphors, adapted to thechild’s age.
« It is like if we were little cars that may carry thevirus from one car to another.

If your car is in good shape, you will justcarry it in your car trunk. Sometimes you
won’t even realize that you are carrying it.

If your car is more used and another car gives you thevirus, then it could cause damages to your car. Yourcar may break down and you will have to bring it tothe garage.

So, garages could receive many used cars to repair all
at once, and have a hard time repairing them all at thesame time.”

4. Give back a sense of control
The current situation triggers feelings of powerlessness. To face it, it is reassuring to giveback a sense of control to the child and emphasize the way each person can help.
“Your school is closed in an effort to stop the virus being carried in too many cars. It isthe way that your school principal found to help. The dance show you were preparing has
been cancelled for the same reason. It is how your professor can help. Even researchers
work hard at the current moment to develop treatments (vaccines), so that fewer cars
carry the virus and need to go to the garage.”“We too can help in different ways. For example by carefully washing our hands. When
we wash carefully our car, it is clean afterward and it no longer carries the virus.”

ADDITIONAL TOOLS
We have to expect various emotional reactions, not only anxiety. Forinstance, under angry or irritable reactions can hide feelings of anxiety or insecurity.

Follow the pace of the child. The child is ready to receive the answers to thequestions s/he is asking, without going further.
« Grandpa is older, and his health problems make him more fragile. His car is more used, buteveryone around him tries to avoid giving him the virus in his car. This is also why garages exist, torepair used cars.”

Avoid transmitting our own adults fears
Making the distinction between our adults fears (powerlessness, worries about
logistics, or catastrophic scenarios) and those of our children (significant change inroutines, loss of anchors) allows us to be more attentive to their true needs. Do nothesitate to consult a professional psychological resource if needed.

Offer a secure space to children so that they can feel comfortable
expressing their emotions and questions.
Use explanations and words adapted to the age of the child.
Accompany the child in a playful manner
Ex. Sing an amusing song during the 20 seconds during which children wash theirhands and practice this task in family.

Limit the exposition of the child to the medias and to adultconversations about the situation. The child who is playing next to us absorbs
much of adults’ discussion and emotional charge.

To cite this document: Beaulieu-Pelletier, G. & Philippe, F. L. (2020). Talking to children about COVID-19:
Coping with its psychological impact. http://www.elaborer.org/covid_eng.pdf© Geneviève Beaulieu-Pelletier, 2020.