Children and home isolation .. How to explain to your child the importance of social distancing
The whole world is going through a difficult time due to the spread of the Corona virus in a large number of countries in the world, especially with the directives of global health organizations to adhere to home isolation and the importance of social divergence at this stage, but some find it difficult to adhere to the matter because of their children, so how is it dealt with Children and home isolation ? How can children be made aware of the importance of social distancing? Follow this article with us, to know the answer.
Children and home isolation
Children may not understand the importance of social distancing and home isolation, but they will feel a number of mixed feelings that they cannot understand. They may feel a state of:
- Confusion about everyone being home and not going to work.
- Sadness and frustration because of not being able to get out of the house and see their friends.
- Anxiety and fear that someone they love will catch the virus.
- Stress due to parents’ condition and their feelings of anxiety.
- Drowning in watching news related to the virus through the media.
Because of these mixed feelings that the child faces, parents will have to educate the children about the importance of social distancing and home isolation, and this will be explained in the next paragraph.
How do you explain to your child the importance of social distancing?
Before you explain to the child the importance of social distancing, you will first have to explain to him the most important information about the new Corona virus, and how a child can protect himself from the virus? And what should he do if he feels tired? You can explain to the child the importance of distancing through:
- Talk to the child calmly and try to reassure him, because children react to what you say or do.
- Try to find out how much the child knows about the disease and about social distancing and its importance by asking him questions.
- Take time to talk to the child so that he can ask you about what worries him.
- Explain to the child the importance of the matter through simple factual information appropriate for his age.
- Tell the child that you are doing this to protect him and his friends.
- Tell the child that they should not listen to what is being posted on social media, as some of this information may be misleading.
- Try to find out what the child is feeling, and try to ease it.
Remember, dear reader, that children are sensitive to the circumstances they are going through, so try to deal with them touchingly through what is permitted, so you can give the child a hug from time to time to make him feel safe. And you can create a new system for him so that he does not get tired of sitting at home, in addition to trying to play with him at times.
Educating children with health problems
If a child has a health problem, they may be more worried about getting sick, but parents can deal with the situation by:
- Acknowledge the child’s fears and listen to him when he wants to talk.
- Tell the child the truth about the impact of the virus on his health, because not telling him may make him feel more anxious.
- Seek advice from your pediatrician, to find out how the virus may affect your child.
Now that you know the ways to educate children about the importance of the matter, you will have to explain to them the most important methods that must be followed to keep them safe.
How to protect children from the Corona virus?
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, you can protect your child by advising him and instructing him on the need to practice healthy habits to prevent the virus, the most important of which are:
- Cough or sneeze into a tissue and throw it into the trash immediately, and in the absence of a tissue, sneeze into your elbow.
- Do not touch the face with hands to get rid of germs.
- Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
- Ask an adult to help him use an auto-sanitizer if soap is not available.
- Keeping the place and the things he touches clean.
- Staying at home and not going out, especially when feeling tired.
A cartoon film to educate children about the danger of the virus
And in the event that you want to educate the child in an easy and simple way that he can understand, you can make him watch this video to realize the seriousness of the matter through this simple story:
Now, at the end of the article, dear reader, do you know how to deal with children and home isolation? How can you advise them? Tell us in the comments, did your child watch the video in the article? And what was his reaction?