If any families are struggling at this time and would like to reach out for a chat or support please contact Meg Escalante, our Wellbeing officer, via email on mescalante@stppakenham.catholic.edu.au.  You can also see the leaflet below from the Be You website which has contact numbers for you to call. 

From the website: raisingchildren.net.au

The Australian Parenting Website

Talking to children about coronavirus (COVID-19)

Your child is probably seeing and hearing a lot about coronavirus (COVID-19) on TV, radio and social media, as well as from other people. Talking with your child about coronavirus (COVID-19) can help your child understand and cope with what’s going on.

Here’s how.

Make time to talk
Find the right time to talk with your child. This might be when you and your child are sharing a snack, at bedtime or in the car. When your child is ready to talk, give your child your full attention.

Find out what your child knows
It’s a good idea to start by asking your child what they know about the virus and whether they have any questions. For example, ‘On the news today, they were talking about coronavirus. Have you heard people talking about that? What were they saying?’

Explain coronavirus (COVID-19) in a way your child can understand

• Use a calm, reassuring tone and stick to the facts.
• For younger children, keep it simple and brief. For example, ‘That’s right, some people are getting sick with a germ. It makes them cough and sneeze. The sick people are being looked after well by doctors and hospitals’.
• For older children, offer more detail. For example, ‘The virus spreads through things like sneezing, coughing and touching infected things. That is why good hygiene and hand-washing are really important. They help to protect everyone’.

Tune into your child’s feelings
Some children might not be worried about coronavirus (COVID-19). But some might be frightened, upset or worried. They might be worried about the virus itself or about how it might affect their lives.

Ask your child how they are feeling and listen to what they say. You can also ask your child what they need to feel better. It might be reassuring if you share your own feelings and let your child know what you are doing to cope.

For example:

• ‘I can see that you’re worried about grandpa getting really sick. I love how caring you are. If anyone we know gets sick, the hospital will take good care of them. Let's have a big hug to help us feel better.’
• ‘It can be scary not knowing what’s going to happen with the virus. Scientists all over the world are working hard to find a vaccine and treatment. In Australia, we have good hospitals, doctors and nurses who can look after us.’
• ‘It’s OK to be worried about catching coronavirus. I sometimes worry too. Some people are only getting minor symptoms like what you get when you have a cold. If I need some good information, I look at the health department website.’
• ‘It’s disappointing we can’t go to the footy on the weekend. But the doctors say that this will help stop the spread of coronavirus, so this is how we can help. Let’s go outside and kick the ball together.’

Please click on the links below for some wellbeing resources.

Link to: Youtube clip on helping children understand scary stuff on the news