Be cautious when talking about the pandemic

CIU Faculty of Education, Elementary Education Department Head, Assist. Prof. Dr. Sarem Özdemir explained how children can be protected psychologically during the COVID-19 process.

Assist. Prof. Dr. Özdemir drew attention to the point that globally everyone is experiencing stress, confusion, and panic due to the COVID-19 epidemic, and noted that in particular; children exposed to this trauma raises important problems.

Reminding that it is inconvenient for children to be in an environment where the effect of the virus is constantly discussed or deaths are mentioned, Özdemir said that such an environment could create stress for the child.

Broad coverage of the news regarding virus-related deaths on the television or in print media, and discussions on this issue when they are in the company of a child, “can create a permanent traumatic effect" stipulated Özdemir.

Make your children do off-the-agenda activities
Assist. Prof. Dr. Özdemir pointed out that there are some points that families should pay attention to in the process in question, and said that it is important for parents to listen to their children first and learn without dictating how they feel.

Mentioning that parents should always be sincere with their children and they should not be oppressive during the communication process, Özdemir said, “a routine such as cooking together can be developed to keep the child away from this stressful environment. It will be the right step to include different activities in a daily routine, so that the child is not exposed to shocking news."

Assist. Prof. Dr. Özdemir also emphasized the importance of reducing the time spent by children on communication devices, such as mobile phones, tablets, or televisions, and said that opportunities should be created for children to do more physical activities.

Drawing attention to the fact that there may be differences in relation to how each child deals with trauma, Özdemir said, “If the child reacts negatively to the situation in question, the parent needs to tell the child that these feelings are normal, that they should not be afraid and they are together in all circumstances”.