“I put [my PPE] on for them, and I was actually wearing it around the house,” said Dr. Mell, noting that his kids agreed the gear makes him look like Bane from the Batman movies. When he and his wife, Deb, learned of the PPE shortage in some hospitals, their kids helped them ship extra masks to emergency physicians in need. Ms. Mell said she thought it made their children feel better because they were doing something to contribute, just like their father.

Jordana Haber Hazan, MD, FACEP, Alberto Hazan, MD, and their children

When he heard his 7-year old praying that the coronavirus wouldn’t kill anyone in their family, Dr. Wilson wanted to do something to lessen her fears. He spread 100 pieces of cereal on the table in front of his younger children, each one representing a person with COVID-19. He separated the pieces into piles to show how many are asymptomatic, mildly ill, dying, already have chronic illness, are over a certain age, etc. Seeing the visual demonstration “helped them process [our risk],” Dr. Wilson said.

For the physicians with younger children, the key messages are simple and interactive. The Hazan daughters are just 4 and 2 years old, so it’s all about teaching them about health and hygiene in a fun, lighthearted way. “We ask them about what we do to stay healthy and prevent germs from spreading. We talk about properly washing our hands, and this has been fun for them,” said Dr. Haber Hazan. “My daughter has shown me how to wash my hands between each finger and on both sides; she loves to correct me when I’m not doing this properly.”

It can be hard for young children to remember not to run straight into their parents’ arms when they get home. “We’ve told them to be the ones to remind us to shower right away when we get home. This puts them in charge,” Dr. Haber Hazan said. “When I enter the house, I get immediate orders to go right upstairs to wash the germs from the hospital.”

A New Normal at Home

Vonzella Bryant, MD, FACEP, and family

Dr. Bryant’s family shares a home with her mother, who had COVID-like symptoms after returning from a trip abroad. Because she worried her mother may have had the virus, Dr. Bryant carefully explained to her kids why they would be quarantining very strictly to prevent spreading it to others. She said her children have taken it in stride for the most part, although there has been an uptick in sibling arguments.