Advertorial 3 tips for talking to your child about the COVID-19 pandemic

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Did you know? Like adults, children are also vulnerable to feelings of anxiety, stress, and sadness that are triggered by major events like the COVID-19 pandemic. And as an expat parent in Thailand, it can be heart-wrenching seeing them go through the motions that affect their mental and physical health. Also, not knowing how to talk to them about the current situation can leave you feeling hopeless too. 

 

Fortunately, our friends at Pacific Prime Thailand have given us 3 tips to help you talk to your child about the COVID-19 pandemic so they can cope better as the situation unfolds in Thailand. Read on and support your child today!

 

1. Ask open-ended questions and listen to their responses

One of the first things you should do when you’re with your child is to ask how much they already know about the situation and what they think of it. You should also listen to their answers and note their behavior. Of course, your approach will be different depending on their age, as described below.

 

Young children aged 3 - 7 

Young children between the ages of 3 - 7 may be too busy learning about the world around them and being playful. This means they may not know or even think about COVID-19. As such, you can go ahead and ask about their thoughts on hygiene like washing hands, and perhaps stating the reasons why handwashing is good. This way, you are not introducing a fear or concern, but slowly feeding them best practices to avoid catching or passing on COVID-19. You can even do this by actually demonstrating the proper steps to washing your hands. 

 

However, young children can be inquisitive, which means that they might mention COVID-19 after hearing it on TV or from a friend or family member. If so, then you can ask this simple open-ended question: “What do you know about COVID-19?”. 

 

Depending on your child's response, you could introduce playful activities like drawing and other activities to open the discussion further. With this approach, you can easily break the subject of COVID-19 down and make it easier to understand without overwhelming them. 

 

More so, activities like drawing, coloring and crafting are powerful ways to help you answer their questions. Just keep things simple, have fun, and let them develop an interest on their own. This way you can guide them at their own pace and keep them happy at the same time. The aim as a parent is not to avoid a discussion on COVID-19 but to assist your child to understand the situation as it arises for them.

 

Children aged 7 and above

Children at this age will have a better grasp of language and understanding of people’s behaviors - especially from family members. They are more likely to notice if something isn’t right and raise a concern too. However, some children may not speak out and keep thoughts to themselves. This can be worrying and it is why you should pick up on this early on during their development.  

 

For older kids, you could ask: 

 

• What is the latest news on the current COVID-19 outbreak?
• What can you do to protect yourself against COVID-19 and keep others safe too?

 

By asking these open-ended questions and prompting a discussion, you are allowing your children to express themselves fully. Whether it’s right or wrong, you should acknowledge them and come to terms with what they think. After all, communication is a two-way process.

 

Just remember that children should be treated according to their understanding of the world around them and be taught to remain thoughtful and calm in all situations.

  

2. Be truthful about the situation

Your child has a right to truthful information about what’s going on in the world, and as parents, you have the responsibility to keep them safe from distress. However, delivering the truth to your child also means moderating what they are told. This is to ensure that they don’t become overwhelmed and form mental connections that are not true and/or incorrect. 

 

However, this can be difficult to avoid given how the world is connected through social media and news outlets that can carry mixed and false messages. For your child alone, it can be hard to harbor the information and pick out what’s exactly meaningful and correct.

 

Nevertheless, with a strong bond between you and your child, you can help guide them and correct them along the way with proper discussions and insight.

 

3. Increase engagement by role-playing with your child 

Is talking to your child about COVID-19 not working? Perhaps putting theory into practice will make the subject more appealing for your child. Knowing that children can easily get bored, you can increase engagement by physically role-playing certain scenarios with your child so they can practice under your supervision. Children love to play so treat it as a fun and educational experience. 

 

You can even teach them basic first aid, i.e. performing the recovery position and how to call an ambulance, and more. Therefore, through physical practice and involvement, your child will likely develop new skills to help them prepare for a real-life medical emergency. And before you know it, your child will be mentally and physically prepared for anything COVID-19 related. Start role-playing with your child today!

 

Need protection for your loved one’s health in Thailand? 

For many expats with loved ones living in Thailand, health is top of mind as the pandemic continues to unfold. This means making sure that you have protection in place in case you (or your child) fall ill to COVID-19 or need medical treatment for a health condition that has just sprung up.

 

Further reading: Why children should have health insurance cover in Thailand

 

If additional protection is what you want for you and your loved ones then reaching out to a licensed insurance broker could be the best decision you can make right now in Thailand.

 

As a leading insurance broker, Pacific Prime offers international health insurance, travel insurance, family insurance, retiree insurance, and more. Pacific Prime can compare health insurance in Thailand to help you find the right policy for your needs and budget. Contact Pacific Prime Thailand for expert advice or a free quote and plan comparison today.