5-year-old gives her take on how to stay calm during the coronavirus shutdown
"She knows the situation is real and serious," mom told "GMA."
Taytum Bauman recently recorded a video for her pretend YouTube channel, speaking to her young "followers" about how to handle the pandemic.
"I know you're very scared but it's OK," Taytum, 5, can be heard saying in the footage. "Use tissues and eat healthy food like probably chicken nuggets, probably [a] peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
"Take deep breaths ... just stay away from your grandparents because if you give it to them, it's going to make them really sick. You have to be really calm, OK?" she said.
Mom Rachelle Ellis shared the video on Facebook where it was viewed more than 18,000 times.
"I did not expect it, many people were sharing," Ellis of Beverly, Ohio, told "Good Morning America." "It's hard to talk to a 5-year-old about why she can't go to school, or why she cant go to the park."
"She knows the situation is real and serious...but [in the video], she still kind of makes you laugh too."
After Ellis and Taytum had a conversation about coronavirus and why it's important to stay home, Taytum created a video to explain to her friends what she had learned.
For her 5th birthday this month, Taytum collected donations for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in lieu of gifts.
When the COVID-19 outbreak hit the news, Ellis said she explained to Taytum how kids at St. Jude's hospital have compromised immune systems and the virus could make them very sick.
"We also talked about grandparents and people whose bodies aren't as strong and healthy as ours," Ellis said.
"I really try to instill in her that worrying is not going to change anything and the best thing to do is to stay positive," Ellis added. "When we're getting worried, we take deep breaths."
Ellis said she's glad Taytum's video could make so many people smile.