![\"\"](\"https:\/\/neverdonewithfun.com\/staging\/5228\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/F2C45DF7-3D1F-4152-B7E7-F672791B4D6D-1024x1024.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
How I\u2019m Talking to My 1st Grader About Coronavirus<\/h2>\n\n\n\nI asked him if people were talking about it at school, and what they were saying. <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nThis was the gateway question … my \u201cmom\u201d version of tell me everything you know. Easton had a bunch of (highly inaccurate) facts to spout off. He told me he heard it came from a bat in China and it had killed 200 people in Illinois already.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I corrected the misinformation.<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nAs soon as he started rattling off statistics, I stopped him and told him that anyone talking about it, especially adults, needed to get their facts straight. I told him that on Monday in Illinois, only 11 people in Illinois had it and no one had died in our state yet period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/neverdonewithfun.com\/staging\/5228\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/8185206F-798F-42E4-AF4A-2A9D503C82E2-scaled-e1584066175741.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThen I told him what we do know.<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nI kept my explanation short and simple:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Coronavirus is a new sickness that\u2019s like the flu that started in China and has spread to many people all over the world because it\u2019s easy to spread by coughing and sneezing. Yes, it\u2019s in Illinois. No, it isn\u2019t in our school yet. But it might be soon, and that\u2019s why we have to be so careful to wash our hands.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/neverdonewithfun.com\/staging\/5228\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/8CD9BA10-2267-4993-AB37-760FC453EB41.jpeg\")
Incidentally, how I\u2019m washing my hands lately <\/em>?<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nI let him ask questions.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cIs coronavirus fatal, Mom?\u201d I didn\u2019t even pause in my response. I told him yes, it is sometimes fatal. But then I was equally quick to reassure him:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- It\u2019s not fatal to MOST people. Most people are sick for awhile, like when I had the flu, and then they get better.<\/em><\/li>
- You\u2019re not going to die from it. It\u2019s very rare for kids to get coronavirus and kids are healthy enough to fight it off and get better.<\/em><\/li>
- I\u2019m not going to die from it and either is Dad or anyone you know. If our family gets sick, we\u2019ll go to the doctor, we\u2019ll stay home and rest lik e we\u2019re supposed to, and then we\u2019ll get better.<\/em><\/li>
- The people who are dying from it are already sick or much older, like Great-Grandma Esther. Grandma Esther isn\u2019t going to get it, most likely, but people like her, or people who have other illnesses, might.<\/em><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIsn\u2019t there medicine you can take to make you better?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What I said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some germs have medicine that kills them and others don\u2019t and this is a germ that doesn\u2019t. But, just like the flu, most people who get sick need to rest and drink lots of water and stay home until they get better. There are medicines that can make you feel better while you have it, but there\u2019s no medicine to make it go away.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nI was honest.<\/strong> <\/h5>\n\n\n\nWhat I said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We don\u2019t know everything yet and it\u2019s changing very quickly. There are a lot of people who are really scared right now, including a lot of grownups, because it\u2019s scary when things are unknown. But there are lots of people learning more every day, and learning more helps us to be less scared. You don\u2019t need to worry unless I tell you it\u2019s time to worry. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/neverdonewithfun.com\/staging\/5228\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/FE0FDCDD-A818-44DE-9896-C0D654492700-scaled.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nI told him what we can do as a family.<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nWhat I said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So we\u2019re going to wash our hands even more than we already do, with soap, for the right amount of time. Sing “Happy Birthday” twice. We\u2019re going to use a lot of hand sanitizer. We might not get to do as many fun things for a few weeks so we avoid germs. Some of our activities might get cancelled. And schools might end up closing, so you and your brother would be home with Dad and I. <\/em> If anyone doesn\u2019t feel well, we\u2019ll go to the doctor.<\/em> But we don\u2019t know any of those things yet. We just have to wait and see what happens.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nI made sure he knows he comes to me with questions.<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nThese conversations have taken place over the course of the week, because I told him from the beginning if he was worried about anything or wanted to know more, he should ask me first. And some of these have come up in the morning on the way to school (my time with E) or before bed (#DoneWithFun Daddy\u2019s time).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And then I changed the subject.<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nFirst, I made sure he knows I believe we are going to be OK<\/strong>. And then I dropped it. Because informing your children can empower them but dwelling on it endlessly causes more anxiety. I\u2019ve tried to limit my adult conversation and news updates to outside his earshot so that he isn\u2019t inundated the way we are as grownups. I know all the swirling headlines and rumors are only making me more anxious … I can only imagine how it would be magnified in the mind of a 7-year-old. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/neverdonewithfun.com\/staging\/5228\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/493E17B7-063C-4AF3-8608-A7CA548B253C-1024x1024.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nI’ve seen the phrase “unprecedented times” thrown around in a few COVID emails recently. I’m not sure I’m ready to take it that far, but there is a new reality right now that’s sobering. I didn’t think I’d be explaining what a pandemic is to my 7-year-old. But I believe in being open and upfront with my kids as much as possible, even about hard topics. And I want them to see that their parents approach these new uncertain times without the overwrought hysteria that has our country in its grip right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Want more resources? If you haven’t seen this yet, here’s another awesome tool for explaining coronavirus to kids<\/a>. It’s an illustrated comic that shows them exactly what they want to know, and its available in a downloadable format that you can print out too.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSo, what did I tell my 4-year-old? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/neverdonewithfun.com\/staging\/5228\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/A1AE6FC7-23F3-4F85-8596-92C223A63D8D-1024x1024.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nNot much. All he needs to know is that there are lots of yucky germs right now, so we have to wash our hands a lot and use hand sanitizer to make sure we don\u2019t get sick and miss fun things like birthday parties. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Making a connection to the direct impact on his fun has made him more amenable to copious hand sanitizer … as long as it comes from this zombie apocalypse bottle<\/a> (make your own if you\u2019re among the lucky with hand sanitizer available!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Zombie](\"https:\/\/neverdonewithfun.com\/staging\/5228\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/5F431518-3FCA-4865-994C-1389074F4711-768x1024.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nI\u2019ll level with you: It\u2019s getting weird out there. Every day is a question … do we continue with life as usual, or give in to the panic and start a self-quarantine? Every hour, something new is developing, and it\u2019s ever harder to resist the media-fueled mania.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This was the gateway question … my \u201cmom\u201d version of tell me everything you know. Easton had a bunch of (highly inaccurate) facts to spout off. He told me he heard it came from a bat in China and it had killed 200 people in Illinois already.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I corrected the misinformation.<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nAs soon as he started rattling off statistics, I stopped him and told him that anyone talking about it, especially adults, needed to get their facts straight. I told him that on Monday in Illinois, only 11 people in Illinois had it and no one had died in our state yet period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThen I told him what we do know.<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nI kept my explanation short and simple:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Coronavirus is a new sickness that\u2019s like the flu that started in China and has spread to many people all over the world because it\u2019s easy to spread by coughing and sneezing. Yes, it\u2019s in Illinois. No, it isn\u2019t in our school yet. But it might be soon, and that\u2019s why we have to be so careful to wash our hands.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nIncidentally, how I\u2019m washing my hands lately <\/em>?<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nI let him ask questions.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cIs coronavirus fatal, Mom?\u201d I didn\u2019t even pause in my response. I told him yes, it is sometimes fatal. But then I was equally quick to reassure him:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- It\u2019s not fatal to MOST people. Most people are sick for awhile, like when I had the flu, and then they get better.<\/em><\/li>
- You\u2019re not going to die from it. It\u2019s very rare for kids to get coronavirus and kids are healthy enough to fight it off and get better.<\/em><\/li>
- I\u2019m not going to die from it and either is Dad or anyone you know. If our family gets sick, we\u2019ll go to the doctor, we\u2019ll stay home and rest lik e we\u2019re supposed to, and then we\u2019ll get better.<\/em><\/li>
- The people who are dying from it are already sick or much older, like Great-Grandma Esther. Grandma Esther isn\u2019t going to get it, most likely, but people like her, or people who have other illnesses, might.<\/em><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIsn\u2019t there medicine you can take to make you better?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What I said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some germs have medicine that kills them and others don\u2019t and this is a germ that doesn\u2019t. But, just like the flu, most people who get sick need to rest and drink lots of water and stay home until they get better. There are medicines that can make you feel better while you have it, but there\u2019s no medicine to make it go away.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nI was honest.<\/strong> <\/h5>\n\n\n\nWhat I said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We don\u2019t know everything yet and it\u2019s changing very quickly. There are a lot of people who are really scared right now, including a lot of grownups, because it\u2019s scary when things are unknown. But there are lots of people learning more every day, and learning more helps us to be less scared. You don\u2019t need to worry unless I tell you it\u2019s time to worry. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nI told him what we can do as a family.<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nWhat I said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So we\u2019re going to wash our hands even more than we already do, with soap, for the right amount of time. Sing “Happy Birthday” twice. We\u2019re going to use a lot of hand sanitizer. We might not get to do as many fun things for a few weeks so we avoid germs. Some of our activities might get cancelled. And schools might end up closing, so you and your brother would be home with Dad and I. <\/em> If anyone doesn\u2019t feel well, we\u2019ll go to the doctor.<\/em> But we don\u2019t know any of those things yet. We just have to wait and see what happens.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nI made sure he knows he comes to me with questions.<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nThese conversations have taken place over the course of the week, because I told him from the beginning if he was worried about anything or wanted to know more, he should ask me first. And some of these have come up in the morning on the way to school (my time with E) or before bed (#DoneWithFun Daddy\u2019s time).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And then I changed the subject.<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nFirst, I made sure he knows I believe we are going to be OK<\/strong>. And then I dropped it. Because informing your children can empower them but dwelling on it endlessly causes more anxiety. I\u2019ve tried to limit my adult conversation and news updates to outside his earshot so that he isn\u2019t inundated the way we are as grownups. I know all the swirling headlines and rumors are only making me more anxious … I can only imagine how it would be magnified in the mind of a 7-year-old. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nI’ve seen the phrase “unprecedented times” thrown around in a few COVID emails recently. I’m not sure I’m ready to take it that far, but there is a new reality right now that’s sobering. I didn’t think I’d be explaining what a pandemic is to my 7-year-old. But I believe in being open and upfront with my kids as much as possible, even about hard topics. And I want them to see that their parents approach these new uncertain times without the overwrought hysteria that has our country in its grip right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Want more resources? If you haven’t seen this yet, here’s another awesome tool for explaining coronavirus to kids<\/a>. It’s an illustrated comic that shows them exactly what they want to know, and its available in a downloadable format that you can print out too.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSo, what did I tell my 4-year-old? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nNot much. All he needs to know is that there are lots of yucky germs right now, so we have to wash our hands a lot and use hand sanitizer to make sure we don\u2019t get sick and miss fun things like birthday parties. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Making a connection to the direct impact on his fun has made him more amenable to copious hand sanitizer … as long as it comes from this zombie apocalypse bottle<\/a> (make your own if you\u2019re among the lucky with hand sanitizer available!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nI\u2019ll level with you: It\u2019s getting weird out there. Every day is a question … do we continue with life as usual, or give in to the panic and start a self-quarantine? Every hour, something new is developing, and it\u2019s ever harder to resist the media-fueled mania.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThen I told him what we do know.<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nI kept my explanation short and simple:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Coronavirus is a new sickness that\u2019s like the flu that started in China and has spread to many people all over the world because it\u2019s easy to spread by coughing and sneezing. Yes, it\u2019s in Illinois. No, it isn\u2019t in our school yet. But it might be soon, and that\u2019s why we have to be so careful to wash our hands.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nIncidentally, how I\u2019m washing my hands lately <\/em>?<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nI let him ask questions.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cIs coronavirus fatal, Mom?\u201d I didn\u2019t even pause in my response. I told him yes, it is sometimes fatal. But then I was equally quick to reassure him:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- It\u2019s not fatal to MOST people. Most people are sick for awhile, like when I had the flu, and then they get better.<\/em><\/li>
- You\u2019re not going to die from it. It\u2019s very rare for kids to get coronavirus and kids are healthy enough to fight it off and get better.<\/em><\/li>
- I\u2019m not going to die from it and either is Dad or anyone you know. If our family gets sick, we\u2019ll go to the doctor, we\u2019ll stay home and rest lik e we\u2019re supposed to, and then we\u2019ll get better.<\/em><\/li>
- The people who are dying from it are already sick or much older, like Great-Grandma Esther. Grandma Esther isn\u2019t going to get it, most likely, but people like her, or people who have other illnesses, might.<\/em><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIsn\u2019t there medicine you can take to make you better?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What I said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some germs have medicine that kills them and others don\u2019t and this is a germ that doesn\u2019t. But, just like the flu, most people who get sick need to rest and drink lots of water and stay home until they get better. There are medicines that can make you feel better while you have it, but there\u2019s no medicine to make it go away.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nI was honest.<\/strong> <\/h5>\n\n\n\nWhat I said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We don\u2019t know everything yet and it\u2019s changing very quickly. There are a lot of people who are really scared right now, including a lot of grownups, because it\u2019s scary when things are unknown. But there are lots of people learning more every day, and learning more helps us to be less scared. You don\u2019t need to worry unless I tell you it\u2019s time to worry. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nI told him what we can do as a family.<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nWhat I said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So we\u2019re going to wash our hands even more than we already do, with soap, for the right amount of time. Sing “Happy Birthday” twice. We\u2019re going to use a lot of hand sanitizer. We might not get to do as many fun things for a few weeks so we avoid germs. Some of our activities might get cancelled. And schools might end up closing, so you and your brother would be home with Dad and I. <\/em> If anyone doesn\u2019t feel well, we\u2019ll go to the doctor.<\/em> But we don\u2019t know any of those things yet. We just have to wait and see what happens.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nI made sure he knows he comes to me with questions.<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nThese conversations have taken place over the course of the week, because I told him from the beginning if he was worried about anything or wanted to know more, he should ask me first. And some of these have come up in the morning on the way to school (my time with E) or before bed (#DoneWithFun Daddy\u2019s time).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And then I changed the subject.<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nFirst, I made sure he knows I believe we are going to be OK<\/strong>. And then I dropped it. Because informing your children can empower them but dwelling on it endlessly causes more anxiety. I\u2019ve tried to limit my adult conversation and news updates to outside his earshot so that he isn\u2019t inundated the way we are as grownups. I know all the swirling headlines and rumors are only making me more anxious … I can only imagine how it would be magnified in the mind of a 7-year-old. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nI’ve seen the phrase “unprecedented times” thrown around in a few COVID emails recently. I’m not sure I’m ready to take it that far, but there is a new reality right now that’s sobering. I didn’t think I’d be explaining what a pandemic is to my 7-year-old. But I believe in being open and upfront with my kids as much as possible, even about hard topics. And I want them to see that their parents approach these new uncertain times without the overwrought hysteria that has our country in its grip right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Want more resources? If you haven’t seen this yet, here’s another awesome tool for explaining coronavirus to kids<\/a>. It’s an illustrated comic that shows them exactly what they want to know, and its available in a downloadable format that you can print out too.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSo, what did I tell my 4-year-old? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nNot much. All he needs to know is that there are lots of yucky germs right now, so we have to wash our hands a lot and use hand sanitizer to make sure we don\u2019t get sick and miss fun things like birthday parties. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Making a connection to the direct impact on his fun has made him more amenable to copious hand sanitizer … as long as it comes from this zombie apocalypse bottle<\/a> (make your own if you\u2019re among the lucky with hand sanitizer available!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nI\u2019ll level with you: It\u2019s getting weird out there. Every day is a question … do we continue with life as usual, or give in to the panic and start a self-quarantine? Every hour, something new is developing, and it\u2019s ever harder to resist the media-fueled mania.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I let him ask questions.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIs coronavirus fatal, Mom?\u201d I didn\u2019t even pause in my response. I told him yes, it is sometimes fatal. But then I was equally quick to reassure him:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIsn\u2019t there medicine you can take to make you better?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n What I said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some germs have medicine that kills them and others don\u2019t and this is a germ that doesn\u2019t. But, just like the flu, most people who get sick need to rest and drink lots of water and stay home until they get better. There are medicines that can make you feel better while you have it, but there\u2019s no medicine to make it go away.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What I said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n We don\u2019t know everything yet and it\u2019s changing very quickly. There are a lot of people who are really scared right now, including a lot of grownups, because it\u2019s scary when things are unknown. But there are lots of people learning more every day, and learning more helps us to be less scared. You don\u2019t need to worry unless I tell you it\u2019s time to worry. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What I said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n So we\u2019re going to wash our hands even more than we already do, with soap, for the right amount of time. Sing “Happy Birthday” twice. We\u2019re going to use a lot of hand sanitizer. We might not get to do as many fun things for a few weeks so we avoid germs. Some of our activities might get cancelled. And schools might end up closing, so you and your brother would be home with Dad and I. <\/em> If anyone doesn\u2019t feel well, we\u2019ll go to the doctor.<\/em> But we don\u2019t know any of those things yet. We just have to wait and see what happens.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n These conversations have taken place over the course of the week, because I told him from the beginning if he was worried about anything or wanted to know more, he should ask me first. And some of these have come up in the morning on the way to school (my time with E) or before bed (#DoneWithFun Daddy\u2019s time).<\/p>\n\n\n\n First, I made sure he knows I believe we are going to be OK<\/strong>. And then I dropped it. Because informing your children can empower them but dwelling on it endlessly causes more anxiety. I\u2019ve tried to limit my adult conversation and news updates to outside his earshot so that he isn\u2019t inundated the way we are as grownups. I know all the swirling headlines and rumors are only making me more anxious … I can only imagine how it would be magnified in the mind of a 7-year-old. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I’ve seen the phrase “unprecedented times” thrown around in a few COVID emails recently. I’m not sure I’m ready to take it that far, but there is a new reality right now that’s sobering. I didn’t think I’d be explaining what a pandemic is to my 7-year-old. But I believe in being open and upfront with my kids as much as possible, even about hard topics. And I want them to see that their parents approach these new uncertain times without the overwrought hysteria that has our country in its grip right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Want more resources? If you haven’t seen this yet, here’s another awesome tool for explaining coronavirus to kids<\/a>. It’s an illustrated comic that shows them exactly what they want to know, and its available in a downloadable format that you can print out too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not much. All he needs to know is that there are lots of yucky germs right now, so we have to wash our hands a lot and use hand sanitizer to make sure we don\u2019t get sick and miss fun things like birthday parties. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Making a connection to the direct impact on his fun has made him more amenable to copious hand sanitizer … as long as it comes from this zombie apocalypse bottle<\/a> (make your own if you\u2019re among the lucky with hand sanitizer available!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ll level with you: It\u2019s getting weird out there. Every day is a question … do we continue with life as usual, or give in to the panic and start a self-quarantine? Every hour, something new is developing, and it\u2019s ever harder to resist the media-fueled mania.<\/p>\n\n\n\nI was honest.<\/strong> <\/h5>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nI told him what we can do as a family.<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
I made sure he knows he comes to me with questions.<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
And then I changed the subject.<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSo, what did I tell my 4-year-old? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/neverdonewithfun.com\/staging\/5228\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/5DF010A5-3EF6-4E4F-BC49-CBABDD18EB60.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"XOXO](\"https:\/\/neverdonewithfun.com\/staging\/5228\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Signature-e1523470736535.png\")
<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"