We wanted to share the following evidence based advice for anyone supporting children and young people with their worries:
Be curious about worries
For example, “What is worrying you about this?”, “What are people at school talking about?”, “What have you heard about the virus?”
Empathise
Help them to feel understood and their worries are normal.
For example, “That is a worrying thought, I can see why you feel that way”.
Gently correct any misunderstandings they may have
After acknowledging and empathising with all of their concerns, you can gently inform the child of the facts using age-appropriate and reliable sources of information.
Please see our Recommended Resources for reliable links grouped by age and need
Encourage your child to feel in control where they can
(and highlight why this is good for others too)
Highlight the helpers
Highlight the good things that people are doing to help each other – at international, national, local and neighbourhood levels
Further Reading
For more detail on how to talk to children and young people about the situation, check out our document available for download below: