Young children will have heard all sorts of terms bandied around in adult conversations over the last few months. Some sink in, and some don’t; there’s been a lot of new language to take in. However, they will no doubt already be familiar with words such as ‘Covid’, ‘virus’, ‘bubbles’, and ‘vaccine’. But with older children heading back to school now, even more phrases will now be flying around.
We thought, therefore, that we’d pull together a selection of common words now becoming part of the family vocabulary that parents might want to have some fun explaining…
Lockdown – Yes, they’ll have heard that loads, but now things are set to ease it’s something to celebrate and does give carers an opportunity to remind youngsters of the things they need to do to keep themselves and others safe.
Testing – With school children and their families now able to be tested regularly, youngsters are going to hear all about swabs being stuck down throats. Plus there’s a good chance home test kits will arrive in your house at some point too. Some school kids will be finding the whole thing funny, but others will hate the process. So thinking through amusing explanations of what’s happening will help allay the concerns bubbling in a young mind, bearing in mind pre-school children don’t have to be tested… at the moment.
Negative test result – Is a BIG YAY! With smiles all round. However, if the opposite does occur… that brings us to our next term.
Self-isolation – It’s really hard for a member of the family who has tested positive, or indeed has just been in contact with someone who has. They’ve got to hole up in a room and minimise contact with others. Of course, as soon as a boundary is set, pre-schoolers love to try to push it. So plan how to distract them and keep them away from the poor isolating soul… We reckon it’s worth having quite a few ideas up your sleeve!
Asymptomatic – It’s a big word, and probably one people don’t think young ones need to understand. However it’s highly likely they’ll hear the word at times, so if you reckon they’re up to it… tell them it’s where someone has the meanie beanie virus but they just don’t have any symptoms… lucky them!
Symptoms – Parents are well aware now of the key symptoms to look out for, but young children may not be and with all the chatter about testing going on in homes, reassuring them that a runny nose or a sneeze is nothing to worry about is a good idea.
Masks – This isn’t going to be a new term for anyone in the family by now. However, young ones are
very observant at times and it’s possible they’ll spot some children not wearing masks when others have to. It’s worth explaining that some people simply don’t have to because of a physical disability or illness. Plus, it’s also possible that they’ll see some carers not wearing a face covering when they’re with their children, and that may be because the child relies on lip reading, clear sounds, or facial expressions to understand what’s being said to them.
Of course, with all this talk about Covid and kids going back to school, it’s an ideal time to re-emphasise the importance of hand washing, social distancing, and not putting your fingers in your mouth… except when you’re licking them after eating a nice treat, of course!