In areas that have been most affected by the coronavirus outbreak, schools and daycares have been closed, and small children have been sent home. Even though our kids lives rotate around social gatherings—birthday parties, playgrounds, public libraries, zoos—we have to keep them isolated from other humans, large and small, in the interest of public health.
So what can you do with a toddler if you can’t bring them to a playground and let them lick all the available surfaces? We consulted Victor Carrion, Stanford’s vice-chair of psychiatry and the director of the Stanford pediatric anxiety program, and asked other parents living through quarantines for their advice on how to educate your kids about the current situation, and how to keep them intellectually stimulated while they’re stuck at home.
Takeaways? Confront the topic head on, reassure your young children that someone will always be there to take care of them, and get creative. Looking for more kid ideas? Check out our favorite kid podcasts and the best strollers.
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