A telltale sign of our ongoing pandemic are the masks everyone must now don to protect themselves. But in addition to preventing the spread of the virus, these masks may also be affecting our children in ways that adults don’t see. Children often look for emotional cues from their parents to interpret situations. This communication is referred to as social referencing and is especially important in infancy and early childhood. With a face mask, the body’s most expressive feature is covered. That’s not to say you shouldn’t wear a mask anymore. But this article gives some tips on how to help children feel more at ease, even when everyone around them has a mask on.

Read Brooking’s psychologists’ advice here