"Children around the world, regardless of where they are from 

and why they have left their homes, should be treated the same."

Lets Fight Together with Covid-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the lives of children and their families as health systems buckle, borders close, and schools and businesses shutter. 

As the coronavirus has spread, so has misinformation – fueling discrimination and stigma. We are working with health experts to promote facts over fear, bringing trustworthy tips and guidance to parents, caregivers and educators. We’re on the ground in more than 5 district, partnering with front-line responders and providing them with the information and resources they need to keep children healthy and learning, protected from sickness and violence. 

We will get through this together, for every child.

The suffering and exclusion of migrant and displaced children is not only unacceptable, but also preventable. A child is a child, no matter why she leaves home, where she comes from, where she is, or how she got there. Every child deserves protection, care and all the support and services she needs to thrive.

Wash hands

Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds, and encourage your child to do the same. Read more and watch a video on how to wash hands correctly. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Teach your child to cover all surfaces of their hands with hand sanitizer and rub their hands together until they feel dry. If your child is under 6 years of age, supervise them when they use hand sanitizer.

Wear a mask

Make sure everyone in your household wears a mask (if 2 years of age or older) when in public and when around people who don’t live in your household. Ensure your child wears their masks correctly and safely.

Some children may find it challenging to wear a mask. If your child finds it challenging, you can consider alternatives.

Avoid close contact

Make sure your child and everyone else in your household keep at least 6 feet away from other people who don’t live with them and people who are sick (such as coughing and sneezing).

Cover coughs and sneezes

When coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue, throw your tissue in closest garbage can, and wash your hands. Encourage your child and all household members to do the same.

Millions of children face school closure and isolation in their own home. This tip is about learning through play – something that can be fun for all ages!

Types of play

• There are so many different types of play that can be both fun AND educational.

• Language, numbers, objects, drama and music games give children opportunities to explore and express themselves in a safe and fun way.

Movement games

• Create a dance choreography to your children’s favourite songs. One person does a dance move and everyone else copies. Everyone takes turns being the leader.

• “Challenge” who can do the most toe touches – jumping jacks, windmill toe touches in a minute.

• “Mirror” each other – facial expressions, movements, sounds. One person can start as the leader and then switch. Try it with no leaders!

• Freeze dance: Play music or someone sings a song, and everyone dances. When the music stops, everyone must freeze. Last person still dancing becomes the judge for the next round.

• Animal dance: Same as above but when the music stops, call out a name of an animal, and everyone has to become that animal. 

Telling stories

• Tell your children a story from your own childhood.

• Ask your children to tell you a story.

• Make up a new story together starting with “Once upon a time…” Each person adds a new sentence to the story.

• Act out a favorite story or movie – older children can even direct younger ones while learning responsibility.

Change the object

• Every day household items like brooms, mops or scarves can become fun props for games.

• Place an object in the centre of the room and whenever someone has an idea, they jump in and show the rest what the object can be.

• For example, a broom might become a horse or a microphone or even a guitar!

Memory game

• First person says, “When COVID-19 lockdown ends, I am going to… (e.g., go to the park)”.

• Second person adds to first person, “When COVID-19 lockdown ends, I am going to the park and… (e.g., visit my best friend)”.

• Each person adds to the previous trying to think of all of the fun things to do when COVID-19 lockdown ends.

Singing

• Singing songs to your baby helps to develop language.

• Play or sing a song, and the first one to guess it right becomes the next leader.

• Make up a song about handwashing or physical distancing. Add dance movements!

Children and teens are now spending a lot more time online. Being connected helps them reduce the impact of COVID-19 and encourages them to continue with their lives…but it also presents risks and dangers.

Online risks

• Adults targeting children for sexual purposes on social media, gaming, and messaging platforms.

• Harmful content – violence, misogyny, xenophobia, inciting suicide and self-harm, misinformation, etc.

• Teens sharing personal information and sexual photos or videos of themselves.

• Cyberbullying from peers and strangers.

Tech fixes to protect your children online

• Set up parental controls.

• Turn on SafeSearch on your browser.

• Set up strict privacy settings on online apps and games.

• Cover webcams when not in use.

Create healthy and safe online habits

• Involve your child or teen in creating family tech agreements about healthy device use.

• Create device-free spaces and times in your house (eating, sleeping, and playing, schoolwork).

• Help your children learn how to keep personal information private, especially from strangers – some people are not who they say they are!

• Remind your children that what goes online stays online (messages, photos, and videos). 

Spend time with your child or teen online

• Explore websites, social media, games, and apps together.

• Talk to your teen on how to report inappropriate content (see below).

• Common Sense Media has great advice for apps, games and entertainment for different ages.

Keep your children safe with open communication

• Tell your children that if they experience something online that makes them feel upset, uncomfortable, or scared, they can talk to you and you will not get mad or punish them.

• Be alert to signs of distress. Notice if your child is being withdrawn, upset, secretive, or obsessed with online activities.

• Create trusting relationships and open communication through positive support and encouragement.

• Note that every child is unique and may use different ways to communicate. Take time to adjust your message for your child's. needs. For example, children with learning disabilities, may require information in simple format.

When we model peaceful and loving relationships, our children feel more secure and loved. Positive language, active listening and empathy help maintain a peaceful and happy family environment during these stressful times. 

We are models for our kids

• How we talk and behave in front of others is a big influence on how they behave too!

• Try to talk kindly to everyone in the family, adults and children.

• Bad communication between adults in the household can have a negative impact on our children.

• The more we practice modelling peaceful, loving relationships for our children the more secure and loved they will feel.

Use positive language. It works!

• Tell others what you want them to do instead of what you don’t want them to do: Instead of “Stop shouting,” try “Please speak more quietly”.

• Praise makes others feel appreciated and good about themselves. Simple words like, “Thank you for clearing the dinner,” or “Thank you for watching the baby” can make a big difference.

Nice things to do together as a family

• Let each family member take turns to choose a whole-family activity each day.

• Find ways to spend quality time with your partner and other adults in your home, too!

Be an empathetic active listener

• Listen to others when they are talking with you.

• Be open and show them that you hear what they are saying.

• It can help to even summarize what you have heard before responding: “What I hear you saying is…”.

Share the load

• Looking after children and other family members is difficult, but it’s much easier when responsibilities are shared.

• Try to share household chores, childcare, and other tasks equally among family members.

• Create a schedule for time “on” and time “off” with other adults in your household.

• It is okay to ask for help when you are feeling tired or stressed, so that you can take a break.

Feeling stressed or angry?

• Give yourself a 10-second pause. Breathe in and out slowly five times. Then try to respond in a calmer way. Millions of parents say this helps - A LOT!

• Call a truce when you can see arguments building up, and go into another room or outside if you can.

This is a stressful time. Take care of yourself, so you can support your children.

You are not alone

Millions of people have the same fears as us. Find someone who you can talk to about how you are feeling. Listen to them. Avoid social media that makes you feel panicked.

Take a break

We all need a break sometimes. When your children are asleep, do something fun or relaxing for yourself. Make a list of healthy activities that YOU like to do. You deserve it!

Listen to your kids

Be open and listen to your children. Your children will look to you for support and reassurance. Listen to your children when they share how they are feeling. Accept how they feel and give them comfort.

Take a pause

Here's a one-minute relaxation activity that you can do whenever you are feeling stressed or worried.

Step 1: Set up

• Find a comfortable sitting position, your feet flat on the floor, your hands resting in your lap.

• Close your eyes if you feel comfortable.

Step 2: Think, feel, body

• Ask yourself, “What am I thinking now?”

• Notice your thoughts. Notice if they are negative or positive.

• Notice how you feel emotionally. Notice if your feelings are happy or not.

• Notice how your body feels. Notice anything that hurts or is tense.

Step 3: Focus on your breath

• Listen to your breath as it goes in and out.

• You can put a hand on your stomach and feel it rise and fall with each breath.

• You may want to say to yourself “It’s okay. Whatever it is, I am okay.”

• Then just listen to your breath for a while.

Step 4: Coming back

• Notice how your whole body feels.

• Listen to the sounds in the room.

Step 5: Reflecting

• Think ‘do I feel different at all?’.

• When you are ready, open your eyes. Be open and listen to your children. Your children will look to you for support and reassurance. Listen to your children when they share how they are feeling. Accept how they feel and give them comfort.

Taking a pause can also be helpful when you find your child is irritating you or has done something wrong. It gives you a chance to be calmer. Even a few deep breaths or connecting with the feeling of the floor beneath can make a difference. You can also take a pause with your children!

All children misbehave. It is normal when children are tired, hungry, afraid, or learning independence. And they can drive us crazy when stuck at home.

Redirect

• Catch bad behavior early and redirect your kids’ attention from a bad to a good behavior.

• Stop it before it starts! When they start to get restless, you can distract with something interesting or fun: “Come, let’s play a game together!”

Take a pause

Feel like screaming? Give yourself a 10-second pause. Breathe in and out slowly five times. Then try to respond in a calmer way. Millions of parents say this helps - A LOT!

Use consequences

Consequences help teach our children responsibility for what they do. They also allow discipline that is controlled. This is more effective than hitting or shouting.

• Give your child a choice to follow your instruction before giving them the consequence.

• Try to stay calm when giving the consequence.

• Make sure you can follow through with the consequence. For example, taking away a teenager’s phone for a week is hard to enforce.Taking it away for one hour is more realistic. 

• Once the consequence is over, give your child a chance to do something good, and praise them for it.

One-on-One time, praise for being good, and consistent routines will reduce bad behaviour.

Give your children and teens simple jobs with responsibilities. Just make sure it is something they are able to do. And praise them when they do it!

Keeping your family healthy and safe from COVID-19 can feel even harder when you live in crowded conditions. But there are things you can do to make this easier for your family.

Stay where you are

• Limit those leaving and returning to your immediate living space to as few and as infrequent as possible.

• Only leave your household or area for essential reasons like getting food or medical attention.

Help your children with physical distancing

• Explain to your children that they have an important job of keeping themselves and their community healthy by temporarily physically. distancing from others

• Show them extra positive attention when they make an effort to practice safe physical distancing from others. 

Make handwashing and hygiene fun!

• It might be hard to find soap and water, but practicing good hygiene is more important now than ever.

• Try to wash all family members’ hands as often as possible.

• Let children teach each other how to wash their hands.

• Encourage children to avoid touching their face. 

Share the load

• Looking after children and other family members is difficult in cramped spaces, but it’s much easier when responsibilities are shared.

• Try to share household chores, childcare, and other tasks equally among family members.

• Create a schedule for time “on” and time “off” with other adults in your household.

• It is okay to ask for help when you are feeling tired or stressed, so that you can take a break.

Exercise daily

• Encourage children to think of activities they can do to exercise while avoiding contact with people who do not live already in your immediate space.

• Jumping activities, dancing or running in circles can be fun!

Take a pause

• You might not have space to yourself to deal with all the stress and emotions you are feeling.

• Notice when you are feeling stressed or upset and take a pause…even three deep breaths can make a difference! Millions of families find that this helps.

Keeping positive, having a routine and trying to find some one-to-one time with each child when you can will help you manage your child behaviours and your feelings.

All children, including those with disabilities, need love, respect, nurturing, and time, especially during difficult and uncertain times.

Keep your child safe

• It is strongly recommended that you follow local guidelines for COVID-19 while helping your child stay as active as possible both indoors and outdoors.

• Ask your local support team or intervention centres about special arrangements for the COVID-19.

• Keep emergency contact numbers where you can easily see it, such as on the refrigerator.

Ask for help if you can

• Share the load with other adult family members.

• You are not alone! Keep connected with people who understand your situation. Share your challenges AND your successes.

• It is normal to feel stressed, frustrated and afraid at this time.

• Be kind to yourself and take a break when you need to! See “When We Get Angry” and “Keep Calm and Manage Stress” for more advice.

Be supportive, empathetic and loving 

• Your child may not have the same support they usually have and this can lead to additional challenges, such as increased stress, anxiety and frustration.

• Use physical and verbal support to make your child feel accepted and loved.

• Positive body language, gestures and words make a big difference!

Communicating with your child 

• Get down to your child’s level when communicating with your child.

• Maintain eye contact and a positive attitude.

• Take your time to allow your child the space to communicate.

• Observe, listen to and confirm that you understand your child.

Reinforce the positive!

• Reinforce strengths with praise and stimulate their abilities rather than highlight the things they cannot do.

• Only help children when they need it. Too much support denies them the chance to become independent and can feel patronizing.

Strengthen routines 

• Routines help children feel secure and safe. See “Get structured” for more information.

• Create a daily routine with activities that are familiar to your child and include some of their favourite activities.

• Help your child connect to friends and family members via phone chats, writing cards or drawing pictures.

• Provide your child with choices so that they have a sense of control. This also increases self-esteem.

• Use simple language and clear instructions and nonverbal communication for children who need it (for example: gestures, pictures, and visual aids).

Adolescents may be missing school, friends and their social life. It is important to provide them with extra support as well as the space to express themselves independently.

Spend time with your teen 

• Plan creative ways to communicate with friends and family (e.g. writing messages or drawing pictures).

• Cook a favourite meal together.

• Exercise together to their favourite music.

• Talk about something they like: sports, music, celebrities, friends.

Talking about COVID-19 

• Involve them in fact-finding and listen to their questions.

• Task them with exploring a topic and reporting back to the family from a radio programme, a newspaper article or the internet.

Sharing responsibilities 

• Teens appreciate having extra responsibilities. Allow them to choose a special job that helps out.

• Create a time during the day where everyone shares one thing that they enjoyed.

• Share responsibilities equally amongst women/men and girls/boys.

Making routines

• Involve your teen in creating daily schedules.

• Set goals and rewards together.

• Make sure your teen has time to relax along with structured time for chores and schoolwork.

Dealing with difficult behaviour

• Talk through the effects of challenging behaviour.

• Explore alternatives with your teen and let them make suggestions.

• Decide together on clear and fair rules and boundaries.

• Praise your teen when they behave well and follow guidelines.

Promote kindness and compassion 

• Model kindness and compassion for those who are sick and those who are caring for the sick.

• Share how your teen can make a difference like standing up for someone facing discrimination or helping a neighbor with food deliveries if they live alone.

Help your teen manage stress 

• Teens will get stressed too - sometimes from different things than you.

• Allow them to express how they feel and accept their feelings.

• Try to listen to your teen and see things from their perspective.

• Do relaxing and fun activities together.

Keep your teen safe online

• Involve your teen in creating family tech agreements about healthy device use.

• Help your teen learn how to keep personal information private, especially from strangers.

• Remind your teen that they can talk to you whenever they experience something upsetting online. 

We spend a lot of time indoors with a young baby and COVID-19 makes it much more intense. It is completely normal to feel isolated, overwhelmed, anxious, and scared for you and your baby.

Sharing is caring

• Use social media, phone calls and anything at your disposal to reach out and connect with others.

• Take turns with others to care for your baby. Take time for YOU.

• Sleep when your baby sleeps so you have energy.

Communicating with your baby 

• Follow your baby’s lead by copying or mirroring.

• Repeat and react to their babble or words.

• Use your child’s name when you speak to your baby.

• Use words to describe what your baby is doing.

Learning with your baby

• Make their environment interesting!

• Babies respond to stimulation.

• Let your baby explore the world through the 5 senses!

Babies learn through play!

• Get to your baby’s level and make sure they can see and hear you.

• Play peek-a-boo, sing songs or lullabies, stack blocks or cups.

• Make music together: banging on pots, playing with rattlers, shaking jars with beans .

• Share books together - even at a very early age! Describe what is happening in the pictures. Let your baby explore books with all of the senses.

When babies cry

• Respond to your baby immediately.

• Check to see what is making your baby cry.

• Swaddling or gently rocking can help calm your baby.

• Singing a lullaby or playing soft music can be soothing.

• Keep calm and take a break! You can place your baby in a safe place on their back and then walk away. Be sure to check on your baby every 5 to 10 minutes.

• If you think your baby is injured or ill, call a health service provider or visit a clinic.

Be gentle with your children as they learn, but also with yourself as the parent!

• Just because something didn’t go well today or you lost your temper, this doesn’t define who you are as a parent. Remind yourself of the things you did well today, even if they may seem small.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) brings with it feelings like anxiety, stress and uncertainty — and they are felt especially strongly by children of all ages. Though all children deal with such emotions in different ways, if your child has been faced with school closures, cancelled events or separation from friends, they are going to need to feel loved and supported now more than ever.

We spoke with expert adolescent psychologist, best-selling author, monthly New York Times columnist and mother of two Dr. Lisa Damour about how you can help create a sense of normalcy at home while navigating “the new (temporary) normal.”

Be calm and proactive

“Parents should have a calm, proactive conversation with their children about the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), and the important role children can play in keeping themselves healthy. Let them know that it is possible that [you or your children] might start to feel symptoms at some point, which are often very similar to the common cold or flu, and that they do not need to feel unduly frightened of this possibility,” recommends Dr. Damour. “Parents should encourage their kids to let them know if they're not feeling well, or if they are feeling worried about the virus so that the parents can be of help.”

“Adults can empathize with the fact that children are feeling understandably nervous and worried about COVID-19. Reassure your children that illness due to COVID-19 infection is generally mild, especially for children and young adults,” she says. It’s also important to remember, that many of the symptoms of COVID-19 can be treated. “From there, we can remind them that there are many effective things we can do to keep ourselves and others safe and to feel in better control of our circumstances: frequently wash our hands, don't touch our faces and engage in physical distancing.”

"Another thing we can do is actually help them look outward. So to say to them, ‘Listen, I know you’re feeling really anxious about catching coronavirus, but part of why we’re asking you to do all these things — to wash your hands, to stay home — is that that’s also how we take care of members of our community. We think about the people around us, too.’” 

Stick to a routine

“Children need structure. Full stop. And what we’re all having to do, very quickly, is invent entirely new structures to get every one of us through our days,” says Dr. Damour. “I would strongly recommend that parents make sure that there’s a schedule for the day — that can include playtime where a kid can get on their phone and connect with their friends, but it also should have technology-free time and time set aside to help around the house. We need to think about what we value and we need to build a structure that reflects that. It will be a great relief to our kids to have a sense of a predictable day and a sense of when they’re supposed to be working and when they get to play.”

She suggests getting your children involved too. “For children 10 and 11 or older, I would ask the child to design it. Give them a sense of the kinds of things that should be included in their day, and then work with what they create.” When it comes to younger children, “depending on who is supervising them (I realize that not every parent is going to be home to do this) structure their day so that all of the things that need to get done before anything else happen: all of their schoolwork and all of their chores. For some families, doing that at the start of the day will work best for kids. Other families may find it may work okay to start the day a little bit later after sleeping in and enjoying breakfast together as a family.” For parents who are not able to supervise their children during the day, explore with your caretaker ways to create a structure that works best.

“Support, expect and normalize that they are very sad and very frustrated about the losses they are mourning.”

Let your child feel their emotions

With school closures come cancelled school plays, concerts, sports matches and activities that children are deeply disappointed about missing out on because of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Dr. Damour’s number one piece of advice is to let them be sad. “In the scope of an adolescent’s life these are major losses. This is bigger for them than it is for us because we’re measuring it against our lifetime and experience. Support, expect and normalize that they are very sad and very frustrated about the losses they are mourning.” When in doubt, empathy and support are the way to go.

Check in with them about what they’re hearing

There is a lot of misinformation circulating about the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). “Find out what your child is hearing or what they think is true. It’s not enough to just tell your child accurate facts, because if they have picked up something that is inaccurate, if you don’t find out what they are thinking and directly address the misunderstanding, they may combine the new information you give them with the old information they have. Find out what your child already knows and start from there in terms of getting them on the right track.”

Many children are facing bullying and abuse at school or online around the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). It’s important your children know that you’re always there for them should they experience bullying. “Activating bystanders is the best way to address any kind of bullying,” says Dr. Damour. “Kids who are targeted should not be expected to confront bullies; rather we should encourage them to turn to friends or adults for help and support.”

Create welcome distractions

When it comes to processing difficult emotions, “take your cues from your child, and really think a lot about balancing talking about feelings with finding distractions, and allow distractions when kids need relief from feeling very upset.” Have a family game night every few days or cook meals together. Dr. Damour is using dinner time to connect with her daughters. “We’ve decided that we are going to have a dinner team every night. We mix it up in pairs, so we rotate who is in charge of making dinner for the family.”

With teens and their screens, allow for some leeway, but not a free-for-all. Dr. Damour advises to be up front with your teenager and say that you understand they have more time on their hands, but that it’s not going to be a good idea to have unfettered access to screens or social media. “Ask your teen, ‘how should we handle this? Come up with a structure and show me the structure that you’re thinking about, and then I’ll let you know what I think.’”

Monitor your own behaviour

“Parents of course are anxious too and our kids will take emotional cues from us,” explains Dr. Damour. “I would ask parents to do what they can to manage their anxiety in their own time and to not overshare their fears with their children. That may mean containing emotions, which may be hard at times, especially if they’re feeling those emotions pretty intensely.”

Children rely on their parents to provide a sense of safety and security.  “[It’s important that] we remember that they are the passengers in this and we are driving the car. And so even if we’re feeling anxious, we can’t let that get in the way of them feeling like safe passengers.”

We want to save children’s lives, to defend their rights, and to help them fulfil their potential, from early childhood through adolescence. And we never give up. 

Every child has the right to grow up in a safe and inclusive environment

We works around to us to promote policies and expand access to services that protect all children.

Every child has the right to survive and thrive

We helped reduce child mortality all over the world by working to reach the most vulnerable children, everywhere.

Every child has the right to learn

We works around the us to support quality learning for every girl and boy, especially those in greatest danger of being left behind.

Every child has the right to an equitable chance in life

We works around the us to reduce child poverty and shield girls and boys from its lifelong consequences.

Around the world, nearly one in three children – roughly 663 million – live in poverty. Of these, some 385 million experience extreme poverty, struggling to survive on less than $1.90 a day. Children – especially young children – are more likely to live in poverty than adults. They are also more vulnerable to its effects.

Poverty robs children of the things they need most for survival and development, like nutrition, education, health services, water and sanitation. As children grow, the consequences of poverty are compounded, taking an enormous toll on their well-being – and their ability to build a better future for themselves, their families and their communities.

On average, poor children worldwide die before their fifth birthday at twice the rate of their better-off peers.

The choices governments make about where and how to spend public resources are critical to breaking cycles of poverty. Social protection programmes like cash transfers, health insurance and education subsidies have proven benefits: They reduce child poverty and improve access to good nutrition, health care and education.

But global coverage is low. For two out of every three children, social protection remains out of reach.

Nearly two thirds of children worldwide are not protected from the lifelong consequences of poverty.

Children are left behind for various reasons. Critical social services are often underfunded, and funds that are available tend to favour services that never reach impoverished children. Local governments – increasingly responsible for providing health, education and other services – frequently lack the capacity to determine where and how children are missing out. Without resources to collect local data and consult the communities they serve, decision makers may struggle to develop plans and budgets that reach children in need.

For children affected by humanitarian crises, challenges intensify. Protracted conflicts, violence and climate change exacerbate poverty and inequity, forcing those with the fewest resources to bear the greatest burden.

Anmar Sara, 10 years old, sits at home. Her family receives cash vouchers, which give them the flexibility to decide how to meet their needs. “I use the money for food,” Sara’s mother says. “This is the most important thing for the children because it helps them focus on classes. Who can learn on an empty stomach?”

Our aims to reduce child poverty and give all children an equitable chance in life. Together with partners, we help level the playing field for disadvantaged children, including those uprooted by war and violence.

Child poverty

We calls for all Governments to recognize child poverty as a national policy priority and protect children from its most devastating effects. We support countries’ efforts to assess both monetary and multidimensional child poverty – measures of poverty and deprivation that go beyond income – and to address them through policies, programmes and budgets.

Social protection

UNICEF helps countries strengthen and expand social protection systems that support the well-being of all children, especially those most at risk of discrimination and exclusion. This includes supporting the development and expansion of national cash transfer programmes, and strengthening social protection systems so that all families gain access to health care, education and social welfare, even in the face of humanitarian crises.  

Public finance for children

UNICEF supports national and local governments to mobilize, allocate and improve the utilization of public financial resources to deliver more equitable and sustainable social services and contribute to better results for children.

Local governance

UNICEF helps build the capacity of local governments – in both urban and rural contexts – to generate local data, plan and organize services, prepare for emergencies, budget equitably and monitor the impact of interventions on children.