Nursery World - Emotional Well-Being

How can parents and carers reassure children who have had their routines disrupted by the coronavirus outbreak? By Annette Rawstrone

Talk and news about the virus might raise children’s anxiety

While one of my daughters is excited to be at home, the other is already missing her friends and has cried about not being able to visit her grandparents. Thankfully, children’s physical health may only be mildly affected by the new coronavirus, but their emotional health is at risk of being disrupted during this difficult and uncertain time.

‘It is easy to assume that younger children don’t understand and that the idea of a virus is too complex so it’s best not to talk about it. But suddenly children are having to wash their hands all the time and their routine is disrupted, which can lead to lots of confusion and a feeling of unsafety,’ says Dr Camilla Rosan, clinical psychologist and head of early years at the Anna Freud Centre.

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