Istanbul Gelisim University - Inform children through games

Inform children through games

Stating that panic and anxiety caused by coronavirus outbreak are also seen in children, Psychologist Selin Kalabaş said: “Families should inform children through games.”

Stressing that adults should stay as calm as possible and share their calm with their children, Kalabaş said: “The anxious state of their parents can be transmitted to their children, so parents should first control their own concerns.”

“ALL THE QUESTIONS MUST BE ANSWERED”

Stating that it would be appropriate to share correct information in accordance with the age of the children, Psychologist Selin Kalabaş from Istanbul Gelisim University spoke: “Children who do not learn the correct information from their own family can learn it outside in more dangerous conditions. Therefore, families can share the correct information with their children candidly and chat with them about the Corona. In addition, children should be told about the measures (such as hand washing, clothes cleaning, etc.) taken to prevent the pandemic through games, and all questions should be answered.”

“DON'T SPEAK WORRIEDLY NEXT TO CHILDREN”

Kalabaş ended her speech as follows:

“They should not follow random two news sources that parents trust and share no unsure information. Especially in this process, the channels that children watch on TV should be paid attention. Moreover, anxious conversations next to children should be avoided. In this process, routines should be continued in the same way. Children feel safe with the situations they can predict. In addition, this way helps them relieve their uncertainty and reduce their anxiety. Anxiety arising from uncertainty can be brought under control with correct information sharing, but parents should definitely get support from a specialist when they cannot overcome it.”