It’s Time to Acknowledge the Kids

We are in unprecedented times. While—thankfully—children are infrequently made seriously ill themselves by COVID-19, every aspect of their lives has been disrupted by the pandemic. There are many resources available for parents, families, and caregivers to help their children understand what is happening. That said, the lack of direct communication with our young people by our leaders is consistent with our country’s overall attitude toward kids, for unlike much of the rest of the world, we do not view our young people as individual citizens.

In The COVID-19 Crisis is Catastrophic for Children Too, Bruce Lesley notes that many impacts of the pandemic on children are not being fully considered. As most of the world is sheltering-in-place and practicing physical distancing, kids, too, are stuck at home, away from their extended family, friends, and activities, while their parents work from home, are on the front lines, or suffer from lost jobs. Routines are gone, along with extracurricular activities, sports, proms, and graduations. Kids are distance learning on their own or through online interactions with their teachers—if they have access—and are expected to readily adapt to this new reality. Managing the stress, and uncertainty of a global pandemic is a lot for an adult; how must this feel for a young person?

And yet, here in the U.S., when it comes to leaders speaking directly to kids, the silence has been deafening. In fact, during a March 27 press conference, when asked, What would you say to those kids– elementary school, middle school, high school – what would you tell them right now—who are watching from home? President Trump responded,

I would say that they have a duty to sit back, watch, behave, wash their hands, stay in the apartment with mom and dad… and just learn from it. But, you know, they’re—the young people have been tremendous. They—some of them are very happy not to go to school. They should just sit back and be very proud of our country. Ultimately we are doing it for them.

 His response was shocking.

 These times are scary for everyone, especially kids. Having disrupted routines and being unable to see friends and extended family is difficult, especially for young people. For many, school is a respite—a place where they may get their only meals of the day. For others school is even fun. The headline of a recent New York Times article, I Can’t Believe I am Going to Say This, But I Would Rather Be At School, said it all. Emphasizing kids’ roles and acknowledging and celebrating their participation in physical distancing, washing hands, and learning from home is critical. To “flatten the curve,” everyone must contribute and do their part—kids included. They’re in this, too.

Having a head of state speak directly to kids—praising them for their efforts, recognizing their sacrifices, and encouraging them during these hard times—may be asking a lot, but it is possible:

 On March 16, Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg held a press conference for children, noting: It’s quite OK to be a bit scared when so many big things are happening at once… For most of us, the coronavirus is not dangerous. But the best thing would be for as many people as possible not to get infected at all… by staying at home from school and not taking part in your usual free-time activities, you are helping to make sure that people don’t get infected and don’t get ill.

 On March 18, New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern held a special press conference to answer questions for children—alongside a scientist who specializes in communication for kids. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressed children directly in a March 22 video, acknowledging the difficulties of missing friends, having to do school from home, and all the uncertainties of the future. He recognized the important role kids are playing with social distancing and washing hands: A special thanks to all you kids. Thank you for helping your parents work from home. For sacrificing your usual day. For doing your math class around the kitchen table. And for trusting in science…Let’s make sure we all do our part. Let’s fight this together.” Trudeau’s message was so impactful it’s being used in kids’ television programs to salute good handwashing and inspired a Winnipeg family to build a Lego Justin Trudeau! Three weeks later, Trudeau participated in a televised Q&A to answer questions sent in by Canadian children.

 The list goes on: on March 23, Young Scot, Scotland’s citizenship organization for young people, hosted First Minister Nicola Sturgeon participated in a Q&A with Scotland’s National Clinical Director to answer kids’ questions about coronavirus. On March 27, Simon Harris, Ireland’s Minister for Health, answered questions from kids in a video Q&A.

It’s not just our national leaders who have a responsibility to address the well-being and concerns of our kids; all of our government officials—state governors to surgeon generals to the city, state, and local councils have been noticeably quiet. It wasn’t until this past week that Senator Elizabeth Warren posted a video on Twitter, answering questions sent in from kids about coronavirus.

Yes, these things take time, but time reflects priorities.

Previously, I urged our presidential candidates to develop comprehensive children’s platforms. Today, in the midst of this global COVID-19 health crisis, I urge our political leaders to talk with kids, to respond to their questions and concerns directly, and to see and prioritize them as the individuals they are. Acknowledge they are playing a role in fighting this pandemic. Young people are making sacrifices, too. Kids may be scared and bored, but they are also strong and optimistic. Children don’t have choices when their schools are closed or when their cities are mandated to shelter-in-place, but by staying home, participating in distance learning, and spreading messages of hope, they are playing an important role in ending this COVID-19 crisis, too.

For more information: we are collecting information on how international governments are responding to kids during the COVID-19 crisis and sharing resources for children and young people here.