A Resource Guide for Talking to Children About COVID-19

With the world in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, children are often having or expressing worries and fears. Their caregivers -- parents and those who are providing direct care for children -- are seeking trusted sources of information to help them explain this disease and help ease children’s worries. This resource guide reflects some of the work of our current NSF-funded research study (NSF#2029209) about the communication needs of children and families during the pandemic, seeking to understand how they are supported in having conversations about the coronavirus and pandemic-related topics. At the beginning of this study, we conducted a literature review to inform our research. We realized that many of the documents, articles, and online resources we reviewed could be beneficial for other researchers, child-focused practitioners, media producers, and caregivers -- giving insights on not just what to say to children during this challenging time, but how to say it. 

This resource guide summarizes four key takeaways from across a wide range of resources about how to have conversations about COVID-19. The resource guide also links to many of the resources we reviewed, which range from particular science or health topics to culturally appropriate ways to engage in conversations about the disease.