Even if you're trying to shield your children from the news, they are aware of the coronavirus.
Experts say using comfort and honesty can ease worries and help children cope during the crisis. Their lives have changed along with the adults who care for them.
We took questions from children of all ages in our area directly to internal medicine and infectious disease Dr. David Dodson.
His answers will help you explain to your child what's happening.
The questions included, "Why do they have those mask things on their face?" and "how did the coronavirus start?"
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Dodson says the questions are excellent and he's done his best to answer them fully and honestly.
He will also have a piece of advice for children: give your parents a hug.
There are many resources online to help children understand the situation and for parents to learn how to explain this situation to their kids.
- Sanford Health offers tips for parents, including why giving them a sense of control through education can be a helpful tool: https://news.sanfordhealth.org/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/explaining-covid-19-to-kids/
- Nickelodeon launched content to help explain the virus to children through videos: https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/19/entertainment/nickelodeon-coronavirus-content/index.html
- There is also a comic provided by National Public Radio to help explain the situation to children: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/02/28/809580453/just-for-kids-a-comic-exploring-the-new-coronavirus
