Talking to your kids about germs

Talking to your kids about germs

Here is an important thing to consider. Most things can appear even scarier than they actually are if they are kept under a cloak of silence. Your kids all know that things are not normal these days. How could they not? Make sure that you are open and welcome to conversations and questions about the Covid virus, the quarantine and the uncertainty about school. Don’t push them if they would rather not talk about it, but at the very least, I would offer the opportunity. Here is the good news. You don’t have to have all of the answers. Looking for information as a team is a wonderful exercise. Sifting through facts and fiction is certainly a skill that our children need more than ever these days. It is important to strike the balance of knowledge, caution and empowerment. It is in nobody’s best interest to have your child crippled from anxiety and terrified of the invisible monster germs. Even in the best of times, over the years I seen dozens of kids tormenting their parents as they went through germaphobic stages (that is the actual term!) Lady Macbeth had nothing on these kids as they would scrub their hands raw every time they came into contact with anything suspect. Knowledge  Here are some kid friendly talking points about the virus. The world is full of tiny things that we can’t see without a microscope. This might be just the time to read Horton hears a Hoo! There are also loads of great age appropriate books to read specifically about germs. Most of the tiny things, including many types of bacteria, are good and important. Some of the tiny things that we can’t see are called germs. These are not so good and are usually considered troublemakers. Germs need to get inside a body in order to grow and spread. If you can stop them from getting in, you win. Have your kids figure out the openings in their body where the germs can enter; mouth, nose, eyes...maybe even a cut. A germ that gets into a cut can cause an infection, but most viruses are getting in through the face. Once the germs get into the body, they might make the person a tiny bit sick or very sick. Sometimes the person with the germs inside doesn’t feel sick at all but is still able to spread the germs to someone else. Germs are sneaky! If a sick person or a spreader is not wearing a mask and they cough, sneeze, sing or yell near you, you can breathe in the germs through your nose or your mouth. That is one way for the germs to get inside. The longer you are near them, the bigger the chance of breathing in their germs. Luckily the germs don’t stay in the air for too long. Get out some bubbles and blow a few. Imagine that the bubbles are full of germs. Notice how they float for a while and then land and pop.  Once the bubbles land, that surface now has the germs on it. If you touch it and then touch your face, that is another way that the virus has found a way in. Empowerment with a dose of caution This is a great time to remind ourselves about the ‘what is in our control and what is not’ exercise. It does feel a bit like we are in a long dark tunnel, but at some point the glimmer of light will become more apparent. The numbers will start to flatten and there will be treatments more widely available for when people do get sick. There are already vaccines in the works, which will prevent some cases. Things will improve. But in the meanwhile, as we slip our toes outside the confines of our quarantine it is important to do it thoughtfully. We can make good choices about where we go and who we will be with. We should stay at least 6 feet away from people who are not in our family. What is 6 feet? Get out a measuring tape and measure things. Maybe daddy is 6 feet? If we are having a socially distant visit with a friend, it is much safer outside than inside. We should wash our hands for 20 seconds in case we touched something with germs. Maybe think of a song that lasts 20 seconds that we can sing! We should take off our shoes before coming into the house. We can make sure that our home and refuge is as safe as can be. We should wear masks when we are outside. This will keep us from being spreaders, remind us not to touch our faces and let people know that we care about other people’s health. Wearing a mask says that we are choosing to be part of the solution. Finding the best answer when your child asks you why some people aren’t wearing a mask isn’t something I have figured out yet. You can try to make masks fun. Use a sharpie to decorate the basic surgical masks. You can draw a big smile, or a frown if the mood strikes. You can also find some very nice ones online Do some fun experiments.  Glitter is a great example of how things easily spread. Put a little glitter on your hands and see all of the places it shows up. Full disclosure, glitter is like the herpes virus of the art world. If you do break it out, you are likely to be haunted by it for a while; no sending curses my way! Mix some cinnamon or nice smelling spice in some olive oil. Coat your hands with the substance. Now wash it off with just water, no soap. It becomes clear that the oil and scent are not going anywhere, you need a good scrub with soap to get your hands clean. If you find a fun activity or a great book, please let me know and I will share it and happily give you credit.