Jennifer Garner Asks Dr. Anthony Fauci For Parenting Advice During The COVID-19 Pandemic

KEY POINTS

Jennifer Garner had a chat with Dr. Anthony Fauci about kids and parenting amid the COVID-19 pandemic
The health expert said kids can play games like golf and tennis but activities that involve close contact are still off-limits
Garner shared a hilarious back-to-school video that shows how working parents struggle to balance their job and parenting responsibilities at home

Jennifer Garner asked Dr. Anthony Fauci some of the parents' concerns about their kids amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the health expert shared some practical advice.

Garner shares three kids with ex-husband Ben Affleck — Violet, 14, Seraphina, 11, and Samuel, 8. On Wednesday, the "Miracles from Heaven" star shared a video of her conversation with Dr. Fauci on Instagram.

Among the questions Garner asked Dr. Fauci in the video was how to handle anxious kids. The Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases then gave her some tips.

"You can traumatize a child really trying to make them be a hermit. You've gotta be practical," he said.

As for wearing masks, Dr. Fauci shared that one can remove it occasionally. In fact, he does that while walking out in Washington, D.C. provided that there are no people nearby.

"Sometimes you look. You don’t see anybody for 200 feet, there's no reason to have the mask over your face," he said.

"What I usually do is I pull it down, and I enjoy the fresh air. When I pass someone or come into closer contact, I pull the mask up, and it’s really simple to do."

As for kids' activities, the expert said playing low-contact sports like golf and tennis are okay. However, games that involve close contact like football are off-limits.

For parents who want to keep their children entertained or let their kids play with others, Dr. Fauci advised to let them do things where they are not falling over each other or where social contact doesn't involve breathing all over each other.

Dr. Fauci also reminded the college-age students who are returning to school to be responsible. Although they won't probably get seriously ill, they run the risk of spreading the virus to their household who might include someone undergoing a chemotherapy for cancer.

"You know, Miss Garner, I have been pleading through TV and radio for months now, and I really feel a bit uneasy, because I’ve never been a preachy type person," Dr. Fauci continued.

"I don’t like to be preaching. I don’t like to be pejorative and essentially make people feel guilty," he added.

In related news, Garner recently shared a funny back-to-school video for parents. The hilarious clip showed how working moms struggle with attending to their kids’ needs while doing their work at home.