Most parents right now are juggling a million and one things. They went from being caretakers and boo-boo kissers to now teachers and playmates (all day, every day). Like the rest of us, celebrities are also grappling with how to explain COVID-19 to their children. What do you say if they ask when they can see their friends again or why their dance recital was canceled? Alec and Hilaria Baldwin, parents to four kids, basically gave us the perfect explainer guide while we’re in quarantine.
We’ve gotten to the point where we’ve turned sprinkles into maracas 🤪🎉
A post shared by Hilaria Thomas Baldwin (@hilariabaldwin) on Mar 30, 2020 at 5:59am PDT
Momma Baldwin told US Weekly that she and her husband are being careful about what they say around the children. After all, kids are like sponges and absorb our fears and frustrations. So, it’s probably best not to be talking about coronavirus 24/7 — whether you have kids or not.
“They know that it’s a virus, and they know that it’s called corona. They know that that’s why they’re not going to school and can’t have playdates and can’t go and live [their] normal lives, and [why] we’re staying at home. [They know] it is because we’re being really safe and that Mommy and Daddy are gonna make as best decisions that we can to make sure that they’re safe, we’re safe and everything’s gonna be OK,” the Living Clearly Method author says.
I know he’s my child, but this kid cracks me up…maybe the quarantine is getting to me 🤪. I made fideuá (like paella) for dinner and this was the way he wanted to eat it 😂
A post shared by Hilaria Thomas Baldwin (@hilariabaldwin) on Mar 24, 2020 at 4:16pm PDT
Their oldest, Carmen Gabriela, is already 6 years old. So if there’s any Baldwin child who has an inkling of what’s going on, it’s her. Still, Hilaria told the publication she doesn’t want to share any scary news with her littles.
“We don’t talk about the really ugly things with them because there’s no use. They do not need to make informed decisions right now, we need to make informed decisions, so we need to be informed and they need to know enough, but not to have it start to cause anxiety.”
This is pretty much just in line with what psychologist Emily King told SheKnows when we interviewed her recently about how to ease kids’ coronavirus fears:
“It is not necessary to talk about this virus daily,” King explained. “Doing so will likely increase the anxiety in children, especially those who do not have a full understanding of the situation.”
So as we all social distance and stay careful (and clean), we should also monitor how children are feeling — and steer clear of unnecessary fearmongering. Bravo, Baldwins!
Lighten your kids’ quarantine moods with these silly books perfect for April Fool’s Day.
