Children often observe and experience the world through their parents’ emotions and behaviors. Children are very concerned about their parents’ emotional reactions and attitudes toward the virus epidemic, and they can’t help but learn their parents’ ways of coping. Therefore, during this special time of virus outbreak, we parents should be aware of and regulate our own anxiety and fears, and try to present a stable, positive and powerful side in front of our children, which is the basis for helping them to build a sense of security. 2. Regular and orderly life Regular and orderly life is an important part of maintaining psychological inner stability. In the face of a sudden virus epidemic crisis, the first thing we need to do is to maintain regular work and rest, live an orderly and stable life, and consciously arrange study, indoor exercise, household chores, parent-child games, etc. 3. Teach viral health in a way your child can understand and give hope With the growing severity of the new coronavirus pneumonia, children must have a lot of curiosity and confusion, why is the planned winter vacation trip cancelled? Why do I have to wear a mask when I go out? How can we explain all this to our children without causing them great fear and at the same time gaining their understanding and attention? The key is that we need to use the child’s language to convey the information in a way that the child can understand, of which picture books are one of the easiest ways for children to understand and accept, and the picture book story approach will help them understand the world in many ways. Young children can also understand concepts such as viruses and illnesses, learn to face them with the right attitude, raise awareness to develop good habits and become more understanding of various decisions made by mom and dad. Parents can read “The Coronavirus Picture Book for Kids” with their children while instilling hope in them. Encourage your child to express their emotions Encourage your child to express their thoughts and feelings in the way they are used to: use your vacation time to read emotional picture books such as “My Emotional Monster” with your child to help them identify and name their emotions such as “scared, fearful, happy”; help them express their feelings through drawing and doodling. Feelings. Allowing children to cry and express fears helps children to recognize that fear and dread are normal emotional responses. Special times may require more time with the child to provide love and care. Now I am a little frog, sitting quietly and observing my breathing. My nose inhales deeply and briefly and my mouth exhales very slowly. Love and Compassion Exercise End each day with a “Love and Compassion Exercise” that teaches your child to care for the well-being of others, including themselves. When your child is lying in bed, choose a favorite stuffed animal and place it on their tummy. Ask them to watch the stuffed animal go up and down as they breathe (this step is for quieting down), and then ask them to say to the stuffed animal, “Happy, happy, xxx [name of stuffed animal],” or “Happy, happy, xxx [ or someone else’s name]”. Source: China Mental Health Association, Beijing Anding Hospital, “Cope|During the Epidemic: What can we do to face our children?