The pandemic has affected the world in all different ways-- perhaps though, it has affected children the most. During a confusing time, parents are scrambling for ways on how to sit down and explain the importance of the COVID-19 virus. Now, it may be a little easier on how to answer questions. A pediatrician mom wrote a children's book to teach her young daughter and other children all about coronavirus and keeping safe.
Kelia Rodriguez is a mother, a pediatrician, and an assistant professor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Rodriguez created a children's book to help her daughter, as well as other children, understand what is going on in the world right now. According to The Texas Standard, Rodriguez started writing 'When The World Is Sick' after her daughter asked, "Who is that?" when her parents told her the coronavirus would prevent her from visiting her grandma. The children's book addresses the pandemic and the best precautions to help protect families from the virus.
“Children learn through observing their environment, from their own parents, and from reading,” Rodriguez said. “I wanted to develop a resource especially for them as they are living through this pandemic, and decided to write this book on staying safe.”
Rodriguez felt concerned after she noticed her patients coming in with anxiety and other emotional and mental health issues throughout the year. She wanted the illustrated book to be comprehensible to children so they could better understand COVID-19, and not until only understand the virus, but how to stay safe and how to cope with their changing world. She also explained how it’s important to remember that the little ones do understand what’s going on and are affected by these life changes.
“I saw my own 2-year-old child struggle with all of the life changes that came with the pandemic, and not fully comprehending what was going on,” she said, “and I decided to do something about it.” Rodriguez also shared that helping children see that the characters in the book deal with the same changes that they are also going through can help make the virus less scary. "It’s not just them struggling with all of this," she stated.
The children's book has already had a positive response. Rodriguez has had parents tell her that their children now count aloud to 20 when washing their hands and also remind their parents to wear a mask. She shared, "I hoped this book would be a helpful resource for kids and their families. At the very least, this opens the opportunity for discussion between parents and their children about what this coronavirus is.”
'When The World Is Sick' is available on Amazon!
Sources: Texas Standard,UTRGV