I know families are struggling on lockdown. That’s why I made a video to explain coronavirus to kids

Children are constantly asking questions that are difficult to answer. Why is the sky blue? Why does jelly wobble? And now, why will washing my hands stop old people dying?

These are weird times for all of us, but imagine being a child just now, living life in lockdown.

Take yourself back to those days and remember how the summer holidays used to feel like a short lifetime, and even a regular school day would feel like it took several years to get through. So, I can’t quite imagine how kids feel about this massive overhaul of their regular routine.

Some schools will have taught their pupils a little bit about Covid-19 already, but when I asked my own two kids what they knew, their knowledge was patchy at best. They were aware they were supposed to wash their hands regularly, and that some people might fall very ill and eventually die of the virus. But taking those two non sequiturs in isolation – excuse the turn of phrase – is meaningless.

To be fair, many adults I’ve encountered don’t fare much better when asked the same questions, and no wonder: this is new information to all of us. A few months ago most of us had never even heard of the coronavirus.

For children as well as adults, it’s hard to carry out instructions when you don’t know why you’re doing them. In fact, it’s pretty foolish to do so. Just telling your children to wash their hands and to not go near anyone or any form of outdoor surface without any form of explanation seems a little unreasonable, to say the least. Plus, if your children are anything like my youngest, you’ll get asked a barrage of questions on a regular basis that you already have no idea of the answer to.

Why is the sky blue? Why does jelly wobble? And now, why will washing my hands stop old people dying?

Death is a scary thought for children. Many even go through a developmental phase of being extremely afraid of it, especially the death of their parents or other family members. So to suddenly transmit all this information about death related to the virus and responsibility for hand washing without explaining things more thoroughly – and reassuring them that statistically they’ll be OK – seems like a dereliction of duty.

Children are often forgotten as we adults rush around obsessing over the disruption to our own lives. In Norway, prime minister Erna Solberg even addressed the nation’s youth directly. She told Norway’s children that it was OK to feel scared during the “special days” of the coronavirus outbreak. She also took questions directly from children, with some asking why they were not allowed to celebrate their birthday with friends. “Because of the coronavirus, our lives have become very different,” Solberg admitted.

Parents are now faced with having to homeschool their children, keep their houses tidy and under control, feed their family three times a day while often also attempting to continue their own jobs while working from home. On top of this, there may be elderly neighbours or relatives to take care of and shield from the disease. It’s no wonder that many of my parent friends have caught themselves snapping at their children when off-guard.

The stress on some households is enormous. It’s too easy for parents of young children to impose strict standards upon ourselves and then beat ourselves up for failing to meet them at a time of unmatched personal and emotional pressure. The children must do two hours of maths and English a day, we warn ourselves; my home must be spick and span for us all to live comfortably in it; I must make good, healthy meals and keep some form of social cohesion within the household.

Written down like that, it’s so easy to see why we’re “failing” to live up to our own standards – and why our children may still be confused about what’s going on around them.

It must be the Blue Peter in me, but that’s why I decided to make a video aimed at Britain’s children in lockdown, explaining the coronavirus and setting out all the positives we can take from this dire situation.

Despite the difficult circumstances, we may never get this quality time with ours kids again so should make the most of it. My children were delighted to know that social isolation has led to a drop in pollution, a drop in mindless consumerism and that people are reaching out to help each other more than ever before. Having not been at school, it can be difficult for them to unwind and relax after ricocheting off the walls at home all day – so I included tips on how to calm down and be mindful too.

A guide for kids on living through lockdown, that covers all of these things, would be pretty handy so I thought I’d have a go myself. I hope it helps you and your family have a conversation with your children that will help them to understand what’s going on without frightening them or making them feel powerless. As we’ve already said, just washing your hands and staying at home can help protect people’s lives.

After all, when this is finally over, our children won’t remember the maths homework work you forced (or tried to force) them to do – but they will remember the quality time you spent with them. So don’t beat yourself up too much. You’re doing your best in a very difficult, and very unexpected, situation.

Konnie Huq is a TV presenter and children’s author. Watch her YouTube video, ‘A kid-friendly guide to the coronavirus’, here