• Emphasize social distancing.

Teenagers tend to feel invincible and are likely well aware that COVID-19 is not as problematic for their age range as it is for older people. Emphasize that it's not really about them--they just can't know if their friends are well, and they risk becoming asymptomatic carriers who can infect others in their own family.

• Understand their frustration over not seeing friends.

Bonding with peers is an essential developmental task of adolescence. Have a direct conversation with your adolescent to acknowledge their frustration over being cut off from friends. Listen to what they're feeling, validate those feelings, and be direct about how you can work together to make this situation bearable. This may include loosening rules about time spent on social media.

• Support remote schooling.

While it's only a matter of finding fun educational activities for younger children, remote schooling is much more challenging for older students--particularly those with learning difficulties, attentional challenges, or organization issues. Support your student by creating a realistic schedule for getting work in defined periods while also incorporating breaks for socializing or entertainment. Follow this key principle: First do a session of work, then reward yourself with something relaxing.

• Encourage healthy habits.

Ensure that your adolescent eats healthy meals, and exercises regularly. Keeping a consistent sleep schedule (waking and sleeping times) is essential for maintaining a positive mood, but make sure that your housebound adolescent avoids sleeping too much. Keep in mind that losing routines may increase stress.

• Validate their disappointment.

Many adolescents will miss out on valuable experiences such as sports seasons, proms, theater productions, and graduation. Give them room to share their feelings and listen without judgment and without reassuring them that everything will be fine. Acknowledge and validate their stress, then express confidence in their ability to rebound.

• Help them practice mindfulness.

Mindfulness teaches us to tune into our emotions in the moment and experience them without judgment, even if it means feeling overwhelmed by frustration and disappointment. Help your adolescent embrace their emotions and to feel rather than fight them--"This is rough, and I'm going to be sad about it, and I'm going to be angry about it, and I'm going to feel anxious about it. Then I'm going to move on and do what needs to be done."

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Manage your own fear response. Children are very sensitive to the fear around them. Communicate to your children--verbally and nonverbally--that you can and will keep them safe.

• Always begin by asking them what they've already heard.

This allows you to respond reassuringly to any fears and correct any rumors. Keep your tone simple and straightforward and matter-of-factly correct any misinformation.

• Use discussions to reassure and give age-appropriate information

Make sure to communicate the following:

• Your child is safe, and the adults have this covered.

• Children and grownups who are otherwise healthy have immune systems that are mostly able to fight off this virus.

• Lots of smart and capable scientists and health workers are keeping the virus contained.

• Our job is to develop good health habits so we don't unwittingly spread the virus.

• Big changes to stop the spread of the disease, like school closings, is a good thing! This keeps the virus from spreading.

• Help your child learn to reassure themselves when they get worried.

If your child keeps asking the same anxious questions repeatedly that you have already answered as best as you can, empathize how hard it is to not know what's going to happen. Then ask your child what they can tell themselves (or someone else) to help them feel better, and help them shape their response. "My job is to wash my hands and not touch my face. My parents' job is to keep our family safe from germs by keeping us home. If I do get the virus, it will be just like any other flu. We can handle this."

• Work out any worry you have about this BEFORE talking with your kids.

Your attitude will always be communicated to your child; they take their cues from you. Don't let your children overhear you venting your own fears to others, and recenter yourself daily in preparation for ongoing discussions with your child. Notice your thoughts, correct them, and keep your own fear in check--be a model of courage and compassion for your child.

• Turn off your TV.

Every time children hear about a death from the virus, it magnifies their fears. TV news is purposely designed to keep viewers engaged by scaring us. Instead, read the news. Refer to trustworthy sources of information (i.e., CDC, WHO, Scientific American).

• Teach healthy habits.

Teach kids that this virus spreads when germs get transmitted by tiny respiratory droplets (from coughing, sneezing, or breathing) that live on atop skin, cloth, and other surfaces. People become infected when these germs get into their eyes, noses, or mouths, so emphasize the importance of engaging in healthy habits (i.e., wash hands with soap; avoid touching face; disinfect surfaces; get enough sleep to keep immune system in optimal condition).

• Keep your own anxiety in check when interacting with your child.

It's natural to worry when your child touches their face or outside objects, but use a sense of humor rather than a sense of alarm to remind them about healthy hygiene. To avoid making your child anxious, create fun opportunities for practicing good hygiene habits, such as singing a different song with each hand-washing session, keeping count of everyone's face-touching impulses, or using workaround habits (e.g., scratch at an itch with a tissue instead of your hand, form a human chain with your children on outings, etc.).

• Stay home.

Staying home helps to flatten the curve of the epidemic, slowing the development of new cases and leaving more healthcare resources for those who are vulnerable and need them most. Make the self-quarantining fun for your kids by working together to brainstorm a list of fun indoor activities.

• Empower your child.

Research shows that taking positive action when we feel frightened or sad in response to news helps us to feel less powerless. Talk as a family about positive actions you can take together, such as making Thank You cards, preparing Care Kits for healthcare workers, dividing chores for disinfection, video chat with isolated family members or neighbors, etc.

• Be aware that your child might well be worried that you or an elderly relative will die.

Children's anxieties about losing someone may often surface indirectly, such as developing sudden fears of being alone, misbehaving to "test" if you love them enough to not abandon them, or overreacting over trivial matters so that they can let off stress by crying. Respond by setting calm, patient limits on behavior and address the source directly.

For instance, you might say "You seem to be having a hard time lately. I know that some kids are worried about their parents because of the virus, but I want you to know that I am taking very good care of myself. I wear hygienic gloves when I go out. I work hard not to touch my face so the virus can't infect me. I eat healthily so my immune system is in good shape."

If your child is worried about their grandparent, neighbor or other elderly person, acknowledge that concern. "I know you love Grandma so much, and it's scary to think she could get sick. I feel the same way. Thankfully, Grandma is healthy right now. She is staying home and doing everything she can to make sure she isn't exposed to the virus. We can help her stay cheerful by sending her our drawings and having video chats with her."

• Take advantage of having more time to spend together as a family.

Use this as an opportunity to strengthen and sweeten your family relationships by working together to create a list of indoor family activities. Set up some routines and structures to make time for learning, daily physical activity, and fun involvement in housework. Keep a balance between structured expectations and downtime so your children can have unstructured play and creative outlets to work through stress and big emotions.

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