Coronavirus and Mother Goose
Today my 8-year-old and I attended a coronavirus webinar that was produced for elementary school kids to be properly informed about the national quarantine.
It was worthwhile. We even got to cheer two times when the medical expert chose to answer Sophia’s submitted comments and questions about the virus!
Little did I know, my 4-year-old was paying attention, too. At the end of the teleconference, she casually showed me a coronavirus doodle she had just drawn.
Uhh.
“Wow! You drew that? That’s impressive. Go show Mama!”
I didn’t expect her to have listened and to have actually processed this subject matter! I hope she’s okay. She seemed unaffected by what she had heard.
Of course, we’ve been educating them about germs and soap and social distancing to explain things like why we’ve been waiting a couple weeks to visit with their grandparents.
Nonetheless, I worry that we’re not doing it right and that 4-years-old is too young for little kids to be understanding such things.
Just let the adults do the worrying.
OK, tomorrow:
I’ll avoid discussing the news in their hearing,
I’ll reduce their screen time and increase interactive outdoor playtime,
I’ll teach them to sing and dance to good ol’ wholesome children’s classics such as
I’ll avoid discussing the news in their hearing,
I’ll reduce their screen time and increase interactive outdoor playtime,
I’ll teach them to sing and dance to good ol’ wholesome children’s classics such as
- London Bridge is Falling Down,
- Three Blind Mice,
- Rock-a-Bye Baby, and, my personal favorite,
- Ring Around the Rosie.
It’ll be fun, kids!
What? No good?
Yeah, what were our parents thinking when they passed down those morbid tales! Haha.
Maybe I’m going about this the wrong way!
Maybe we need a modern-day Mother Goose song and dance to handle the stress and anxiety of this global emergency...
Just kidding.
Maybe I’m going about this the wrong way!
Maybe we need a modern-day Mother Goose song and dance to handle the stress and anxiety of this global emergency...
Just kidding.
P.S. I’m reading this blogpost in June 2024. COVID-19 seems a distant memory yet I don’t think I’ll ever forget the traumatic emotions of that time. I asked Chat GPT to write me a modern day nursery rhyme about that period:
The COVID Rhyme
COVID came to town, in the year of gloom,
Silent streets and empty rooms.
Masks on faces, hand gel flows,
Silent places, nobody goes.
Round and round the virus spins,
Shut the door, stay within.
Beds in rows, a fearful sight,
Doctors work both day and night.
Ventilators hum, hearts beat slow,
Breathless whispers, voices low.
Vaccines come, needles prick,
Hoping for the end of sick.
Round and round the virus spins,
Shut the door, stay within.
Life paused in a deadly dance,
Hoping for another chance.
Tales of sickness, tales of woe,
Passed from those who lived to know.
COVID came to town one day,
And slowly, slowly, slipped away.
