Mumsnetters help me explain to my 4 year old about what's happening!

[cherry2727]

I need some help and I feel dreadful as I haven't done this as yet. My four year old has started to show a change in his behaviour and last night he gritted his teeth a lot! I think it's due to the fact that we haven't sat him down and explain what is going on, why we can't leave leave the house and he can't go to school. We thought we were shielding him as we didn't want to scare him but I acknowledge that our approach was wrong . I have done lots of googling but none of the articles I've read have said point blank what you say and they are also entirely directed to older kids . For those with kids in this similar age groups What did you say to your kids ?

Some people have got sick and we need to stay home to ensure others don't get sick and HOW LUCKY ARE WE TO GET TO STAY HOME AND PLAY TOGETHER...

Mine is 4. We told her there is a new germ that no one has ever had before and we are all working together to stop it spreading so people don’t all get poorly.

We are acknowledging her feelings of missing her friends and preschool adults, and reminding her we don’t want to give them germs. We can make letters and cards and video call some. We will get to play with them when the germ has gone. I say I miss my friends too but I can call them.

We told her everyone in the world is working hard to make a vaccine and so this will end. We are going to look at the Peak District (where we had booked a holiday) on the computer this afternoon. We said we probably can’t go in May but we will go and what a lovely year next year will be with so many weddings, parties and trips that have been postponed.

We started with the first bit and the other stuff has been in response to her questions over the last fortnight. Hope some of this helps x

A nurse has written a book called 'Dave the dog is worried about coronavirus'. It's available online. It's aimed at young children who are worried about coronavirus and explains about it in a non scary way. Her name is Molly Watts.

Thanks @TKAAHUARTG
@Powerof4 that's quite helpful! Thank You.

Fab @NoddingTulip ! Just downloaded it and will read to him after we have the chat today ! Thank You

Mine is 4 and I have told him there is a sickness going around so we have to stay away from everyone for a while until it goes away. He asked when it will go away and I said I don't know but hopefully soon. He seemed satisfied with that so far although occasionally gets upset that we can't visit people or go anywhere exciting.

I read my 6 year old this poem that helped a little to explain things. We then looked at the clear canals in Venice etc

The time we spring cleaned the world 🌍

The world it got so busy,
There were people all around.
They left their germs behind them;
In the air and on the ground.

These germs grew bigger and stronger.
They wanted to come and stay.
They didn’t want to hurt anyone -
They just really wanted to play.

Sometimes they tried to hold your hand,
Or tickled your throat or your nose.
They could make you cough and sneeze
And make your face as red as a rose.

And so these germs took over.
They started to make people ill,
And with every cough we coughed
More and more germs would spill.

All the queens and kings had a meeting.
“It’s time to clean the world up!” they said.
And so they had to close lots of fun stuff,
Just so these germs couldn’t spread.

We couldn’t go to cinemas
Or restaurants for our tea.
There was no football or parties,
The world got as quiet as can be.

The kids stopped going to school,
The mums and dads went to work less.
Then a great big giant scrubbing brush
Cleaned the sky and the sea and the mess!

Dads started teaching the sums,
Big brothers played with us more,
Mums were in charge of homework
And we read and played jigsaws galore!

The whole world was washing their hands
And building super toilet roll forts!
Outside was quiet and peaceful,
Now home was the place for all sports.

So we played in the world that was home
And our days filled up with fun and love,
And the germs they grew smaller and smaller
And the sun watched from up above.

Then one morning the sun woke up early,
She smiled and stretched her beams wide.
The world had been fully spring cleaned,
It was time to go back outside!

We opened our doors oh so slowly
And breathed in the clean and fresh air.
We promised that forever and always
Of this beautiful world we’d take care!

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Oh I’ll have a look at the book mentioned above. We’ve said that there is a new bug that can be quite dangerous for old people like granny and grandad but mild for children so we have to stay inside. I don’t think you can shield them from it. They’re whole world has gone upside down. Where we made a mistake was having the news on while she was mulling around. We don’t do that anymore as I don’t want her to hear death tolls etc so it means we can’t listen in to the daily updates easily.

That book by Nurse Dotty is good.

Link for anyone who has not yet found it:
nursedottybooks.com/dave-the-dog-is-worried-about-coronavirus-2/

Similar to @Powerof4 - told our nearly four-year-old that there were some new bad germs that were making people poorly and so most of the indoor places (like nursery and music group etc) were closed to stop it spreading.

She's been really accepting and adaptable actually (I think they generally are at this age, thankfully) though obviously things have been moving so quickly so when she asked if we could go to a funfair and I said we couldn't because of the germs, she then said "But a funfair isn't inside!"

She likes the Osborne first questions and answers lift the flap books and there's a good one called What are germs? which we've got which explains what germs are in a bit more detail.

Some really helpful ideas so thank you all!
The poem is really lovely 😊