By Mey Saephan
•
March 15, 2020
Schools, churches, conferences, birthday parties, weddings, and employment have closed down. This is an anxiety inducing time for caregivers and children.
As caregivers, we need to sit down and debrief with children. Find out what they are seeing and hearing through their social media outlets. Empathize and help them modulate their fears. It doesn't help children, when we tell them not to be afraid because their brain takes in data and tells them otherwise.
For example: If your 10 year old son or daughter fortune-tells that he or she will get sick and die, you may respond by saying, "You are very scared that you will get sick aren't you? Daddy doesn't want to be sick either. Because of all the things we have seen on TV and on the internet, it is frightening to think about getting sick. I have seen them too."