How Do We Deal With Children During Covid-19?

            Families, communities, and nations are strong when children are strong. The world has been battling COVID-19 for several months, and children have been shut up in their homes for nearly two months. My grandchildren are bored without being able to interact with their friends. The little ones are happy that older siblings are home all day every single day. Families are spending much more time together. This is usually a good thing but not always.


            The neighborhood children seem to be handling the pandemic well. I see them outside where they play together but maintain six feet distance from each other. It is easy to do while riding bicycles. Whenever I walk out to get the mail, they move out of the way to not endanger either of us.


            I am wondering how children in general are doing. When the pandemic first came to the United States, most of us were in a state of panic. We knew the coronavirus was contagious, but we did not have full understanding of it. I was quite tense about how it would affect my family.

I learned that I could collect the mail and let it sit for several days, and I could do the same with any groceries that did not need refrigeration or freezing. I wash my hands thoroughly after touching anything that has been handled by other people, but I no longer worry about possibly missing one of the little coronavirus bugs.

If you have children in your home, you may be dealing with a different situation, or you may have become accustomed to hunkering down at home. However, I thought that I would send along these suggestions from a pediatrician. 

The first thing you need to do is remain calm … do not communicate fear….

Second, teach your children about the specifics of this virus … do our best to avoid getting COVID-19 while the experts work on testing, treatment, and vaccines….

Third, reassure children that if they do get the virus, they’ll probably just feel like they have a cold….

Fourth, find out what your children are thinking about the issue….

Fifth, give them something to do. One of the best ways to help children feel less vulnerable is to tell them what they can do to avoid getting the virus….

Sixth, live as normally as possible. With all of this said, try to maintain a normal family routine…. Whenever you can find something fun for your children to do that doesn’t involve being around a lot of people, do it. Keep children busy and moving….

            The goal of every parent should be to help their children to look back on this pandemic as a time of family togetherness and not as a time of fear. This is a time to make good memories because positive memories will strengthen the children, which will in turn strengthen the family, community, and nation.