While information about the physical effects of coronavirus on children is undetermined, the impact on their mental health is clear. Anxiety and stress levels among children under five are on the rise – with many overwhelmed by a fear of the unknown and how long the pandemic will last.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has offered guidance on helping young children at this time, including: talking to your children about Covid-19, answering questions about the virus, taking breaks, eating well and getting plenty of sleep.
But how much information is too much for children under five? How can a global crisis be explained to young children? And what about children whose living conditions are insufficient?
In this episode of The Stream, we put those questions to a panel of experts and look to some of the writers who are finding creative ways to explain the pandemic to children thorough books, comics and cartoons.