As coronavirus spreads around the world, so does news of every kind about it. People are growing more anxious by the day, and children are among them — children who usually turn to their parents to make sense of things.

So how do you explain the coronavirus outbreak to a child, and how do you ease the fear in their mind?

Dr Punam Krishna is a doctor in the United Kingdom with a six-year-old son of her own. "The point is to reduce anxiety," she says. "To explain to them that this virus is like when you catch a cold, have an upset stomach or are sick."

She believes parents should talk openly with children about the subject. Otherwise, a child will pick up wrong information at school or from friends.

A child may not properly understand the news that reaches them through the media, and that only harms them.

"Being direct and telling the truth — that is what I am doing with my son," Dr Krishna says. "And I am encouraging the parents who come to me to do the same."

Child psychologist Dr Richard Woolfson believes the way to talk to a child depends on their age.

"Children aged six or seven or under are likely to be upset by whatever they hear, because their parents are talking about it around them," he says.

"This can be frightening for them. First, with young children, reassure them. You may not know what is going to happen, but tell them everything will be all right."

Source: BBC Bangla. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.