Specific Guidelines (From the National Association of School Psychologists) 

Remain calm and reassuring. 

• Children will react to and follow your verbal and nonverbal reactions. 
• What you say and do about COVID-19, current prevention efforts, and related events can either increase or decrease your children’s anxiety.
• If true, emphasize to your children that they and your family are fine.
• Remind them that you and the adults at their school are there to keep them safe and healthy.
• Let your children talk about their feelings and help reframe their concerns into the appropriate perspective. 

Make yourself available. 

• Children may need extra attention from you and may want to talk about their concerns, fears, and questions.
• It is important that they know they have someone who will listen to them; make time for them.
• Tell them you love them and give them plenty of affection. 

Avoid excessive blaming. 

• When tensions are high, sometimes we try to blame someone.
• It is important to avoid stereotyping any one group of people as responsible for the virus.
• Be aware of any comments that other adults are having around your family. You may have to explain what comments mean if they are different from the values that you have at home.

Monitor television viewing and social media. 

• Limit television viewing or access to information on the Internet and through social media. Try to avoid watching or listening to information that might be upsetting when your children are present.
• Speak to your child about how many stories about COVID-19 on the Internet may be based on rumors and inaccurate information.
• Talk to your child about factual information of this disease—this can help reduce anxiety.
• Constantly watching updates on the status of COVID-19 can increase anxiety—avoid this.
• Be aware that developmentally inappropriate information (i.e., information designed for adults) can cause anxiety or confusion, particularly in young
• Engage your child in games or other interesting activities instead. 

Maintain a normal routine to the extent possible. 

• Keep to a regular schedule, as this can be reassuring and promotes physical health.
• Encourage your children to keep up with their schoolwork and extracurricular activities, but don’t push them if they seem overwhelmed. 

Be honest and accurate. 

• In the absence of factual information, children often imagine situations far worse than reality.
• Don’t ignore their concerns, but rather explain that at the present moment very few people in this country are sick with COVID-19.
• Children can be told this disease is thought to be spread between people who are in close contact with one another—when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
• It is also thought it can be spread when you touch an infected surface or object, which is why it is so important to protect yourself.
• For additional factual information contact your school nurse, ask your doctor, or check the https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html website. 

Know the symptoms of COVID-19. 

• The CDC believes these symptoms appear in a few days after being exposed to someone with the disease or as long as 14 days after exposure:For some people the symptoms are like having a cold; for others they are quite severe or even life threatening. In either case it is important to check with your child’s healthcare provider (or yours) and follow instructions about staying home and away from public spaces to prevent the spread of the virus. 
  • Fever
  • Cough
  • Shortness for breath

Review and model basic hygiene and healthy lifestyle practices for protection. 

• Encourage your child to practice every day good hygiene—simple steps to prevent spread of illness:Giving children guidance on what they can do to prevent infection gives them a greater sense of control over disease spread and will help to reduce their anxiety.
  • Wash hands multiple times a day for at least 20 seconds (singing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star slowly takes about 20 seconds).
  • Cover their mouths with a tissue when they sneeze or cough and throw away the tissue immediately, or sneeze or cough into the bend of their elbow. Do not share food or drinks.
  • Practice giving fist or elbow bumps instead of handshakes. Fewer germs are spread this way.
• Encourage your child to eat a balanced diet, get enough sleep, and exercise regularly; this will help them develop a strong immune system to fight off illness. 

Take Time to Talk You know your children best. Let their questions be your guide as to how much information to provide. However, don’t avoid giving them the information that health experts identify as critical to ensuring your children’s health. Be patient; children and youth do not always talk about their concerns readily. Watch for clues that they may want to talk, such as hovering around while you do the dishes or yard work. It is very typical for younger children to ask a few questions, return to playing, then come back to ask more questions. 

When sharing information, it is important to make sure to provide facts without promoting a high level of stress, remind children that adults are working to address this concern, and give children actions they can take to protect themselves. 

Information is rapidly changing about this new virus—to have the most correct information stay informed by accessing https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html. 

Keep Explanations Age Appropriate 

• Early elementary school children need brief, simple information that should balance COVID-19 facts with appropriate reassurances that their schools and homes are safe and that adults are there to help keep them healthy and to take care of them if they do get sick. Give simple examples of the steps people take every day to stop germs and stay healthy, such as washing hands. Use language such as “adults are working hard to keep you safe.”
• Upper elementary and early middle school children will be more vocal in asking questions about whether they truly are safe and what will happen if COVID-19 comes to their school or community. They may need assistance separating reality from rumor and fantasy. Discuss efforts of school and community leaders to prevent germs from spreading.
• Upper middle school and high school students are able to discuss the issue in a more in-depth (adult-like) fashion and can be referred directly to appropriate sources of COVID-19 facts. Provide honest, accurate, and factual information about the current status of COVID-19. Having such knowledge can help them feel a sense of control. 

Suggested Points to Emphasize When Talking to Children 

• Adults at home and school are taking care of your health and safety. If you have concerns, please talk to an adult you trust.
• Not everyone will get the coronavirus (COVID-19) disease. School and health officials are being especially careful to make sure as few people as possible get sick.
• It is important that all students treat each other with respect and not jump to conclusions about who may or may not have COVID-19.
• There are things you can do to stay health and avoid spreading the disease:
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Stay home when you are sick.
  • Cover your cough or sneeze into your elbow or a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
  • Wash hands often with soap and water (20 seconds).
  • If you don’t have soap, use hand sanitizer (60–95% alcohol based).
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.

Additional Resources: Coping with Stress During Infectious Diseases 

• SAMHSA Talking With Children: TIPS FOR CAREGIVERS, PARENTS, AND TEACHERS DURING INFECTIOUS DISEASE OUTBREAKS
• SAMHSA Coping With Stress During Infectious Disease Outbreaks
• CDC Manage Anxiety & Stress
• NCTSN
• How to talk to your Anxious child
• How to protect yourself from Coronavirus 

Handwashing and Hand Sanitizer Use at Home, at Play, and When Out & About 

• CDC 

Fun Activities for Children and Families to do while at Home 

• Take walks, hikes
• Bike rides, Roller Skating, Skateboarding
• Play catch, kick soccer ball back and forth
• Create your own workout routine at home
• Listen to music
• Have a Dance Party
• Watch movies top 10 animated movies 2019
• Make videos
• Play video games
• Connect with friends over phone or internet
• Play board games, Puzzles
• Arts and crafts
• Playdough How to make play-dough
• Online learning opportunities
• GoNoodle (Indoor recess videos) https://www.gonoodle.com/
• YouTube – Yoga videos
• Cook meals together/Baking
• Water coloring
• Have your own fashion show
• Go on every Disney ride via YouTube
• Teach your dog a new trick
• Play hide and seek, Flashlight tag (At night)
• Make paper airplanes
• Make a fort and read a book together How to build a fort 

Mindfulness Activities (To help children relax, manage stress) 

Mindful Posing One easy way for children to dip their toes into mindfulness is through body poses. To get your kids excited, tell them that doing fun poses can help them feel strong, brave, and happy. 

Have the kids go somewhere quiet and familiar, a place they feel safe. Next, tell them to try one of the following poses: 

The Superman: this pose is practiced by standing with the feet just wider than the hips, fists clenched, and arms reached out to the sky, stretching the body as tall as possible. The Wonder Woman: this pose is struck by standing tall with legs wider than hip-width apart and hands or fists placed on the hips (Karen Young, 2017). 

Ask the kids how they feel after a few rounds of trying either of these poses. You may be surprised. 

Spidey-Senses While on the subject of superheroes, this can be a related “next step” to teach kids how to stay present. 

Instruct your kids to turn-on their “Spidey senses,” or the super-focused senses of smell, sight, hearing, taste, and touch that Spiderman uses to keep tabs on the world around him. This will encourage them to pause and focus their attention on the present, opening their awareness to the information their senses bring in (Karen Young, 2017). 

This is a classic mindfulness exercise and encourages observation and curiosity—great skills for any human to practice. 

Safari The Safari exercise is a great way to help kids learn mindfulness. This activity turns an average, everyday walk into an exciting new adventure. 

Tell your kids that you will be going on a safari: their goal is to notice as many birds, bugs, creepy-crawlies, and any other animals as they can. Anything that walks, crawls, swims, or flies is of interest, and they’ll need to focus all of their senses to find them, especially the little ones (Karen Young, 2017). 

A similar exercise for adults is the mindfulness walk. This exercise provokes the same response in children that a mindful walk elicits in adults: a state of awareness and grounding in the present. 

If you’re interested in more information on how to encourage the practice of mindfulness in children and teens, you can check out the other exercises from this website. Otherwise, head on to the next section where we lay out key tips for teaching these concepts.