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COVID-19: 12 Articles

Build Your Library: COVID-19 Resources

Managing Anxiety September 16, 2020 11:51 am

Parents need all kinds of resources to raise their children. The COVID-19 pandemic has created an entirely new set of challenges for parents and kids alike. Disruption of schooling and work, isolation from friends and family, and necessary hygiene and social distancing measures have changed the way we live, play, gather, and travel. Magination Press created its Build Your Library Collection to provide resources to families as their children head back to school. These books address the specific challenges posed by the pandemic. If you need to help a young child understand the pandemic, read A Kid's Guide to Coronavirus by Rebecca Growe MSW, LCSW, and Julia Martin Burch PhD. This free picture book explains the virus, how it spreads, and what kids can do to help keep themselves and others safe. It also has a Note to Parents and Caregivers offering strategies to help children navigate anxiety they may feel about the pandemic. Download your free print copy, here, and here's the Kindle version. It's also available in Spanish and in Portuguese. Here's the Spanish Kindle version, too. The Portuguese Kindle version is on the way. Hear A Kid's Guide to Coronavirus read aloud. If your tween or teen is feeling the strain of distance learning, separation from friends and family, and cancellation of sports, arts, and other activities, Unstuck! 10 Things to Do to Stay Safe and Sane During the Pandemic by Bonnie Zucker, PsyD, can help. This activity book has journal prompts and activities designed to help older kids manage stress and anxiety, cultivate gratitude and creativity, and express their emotions. Download a free print copy here.  Here's the Kindle version. A Spanish version is in the works. Hear Unstuck! 10 Things to Do to Stay Safe and Sane During the Pandemic read aloud. If you or your child are working on building resilience, The Hugging Tree by Jill Neimark, is a wonderful choice. From March to May 2020, people around the world shared this beautiful picture book about a little tree growing in very harsh conditions because of its message of kindness, compassion, and resilience. Read Ms. Neimark's article about the internet read-aloud phenomenon. Hear The Hugging Tree read aloud.  Your child and your family may be experiencing new stresses and anxieties as a result of the pandemic. Magination Press has titles about stress, anxiety, and mindfulness that can help. Since mid-March, Magination Press Family has posted frequent articles about how to support your child in this challenging time, featuring appropriate books. Managing Sibling Conflict Fostering Resilience Fostering Mindfulness Writing and Doodling to Express Emotions Exploring Feelings with Mindfulness Building Life Skills During the Pandemic Explore Emotions and Relationships with The Find Out Files Increase Optimistic Thinking at Home or at School with Evidence-based Curriculum COVID-19 Self-Care: Get Moving Tips to Help Your Socially Anxious Child Stay Engaged During COVID-19 Kids Feeling Stressed? Help Them Learn Self-Care Skills To help you build your family library, through October 31, 2020, get 25% off your purchase and free shipping when

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Build Your Library: COVID-19 Resources 2020-09-16T11:51:18-04:00

COVID-19: Strategies to Support Your Young Child and Yourself

Managing Anxiety August 13, 2020 11:35 pm By Rebecca Growe, MSW, LCSW and Julia Martin Burch, PhD

We're months into the COVID-19 pandemic now, and it looks like the concerns, complications, and uncertainty it has created will be with us for a while. As we head into the fall, children, parents, and caregivers alike are suffering from a kind of pandemic fatigue. Caring for our children and ourselves has taken on a new dimension, and we all could use some strategies to handle these ongoing stressors. In May, Magination Press published two free resources to support kids during the pandemic: A Kid's Guide to Coronavirus, by Rebecca Growe, MSW, LCSW, and  Julia Martin Burch, PhD, created for kids ages 3-8, (now also available in Spanish) and Unstuck! 10 Things to Do to Stay Safe and Sane During the Pandemic, by Bonnie Zucker, for kids ages 13-18. Both have a note at the end, providing specific strategies for coping with the anxiety, uncertainty, disappointment, and emotional roller coaster created by the pandemic. This excerpt from A Kid's Guide to Coronavirus Note to Parents and Caregivers provides six tips for parents to help themselves and their young children through this challenging time. The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for children and adults alike. Yet within great challenges lie opportunities for growth, bravery, and resilience. Provide Just Enough Information Strike a balance between oversharing information, which may lead kids to worry about aspects of the crisis they need not be worried about like the economy, and under-sharing. Too little information can send active imaginations into overdrive. Provide your child with limited, age-appropriate facts about the virus. Focus on what they can do to keep themselves, their families, and their communities safe, like wearing a mask and washing hands. Validate and Name Emotions It's normal for children to have a range of emotions in response to the pandemic: anxiety, fear, or anger, for example. No matter the emotion, it is important to validate it—to communicate to your child that their emotion makes sense and is okay for them to feel. For example, "I can understand why you're feeling worried. There are a lot of changes happening right now." It is also helpful to label the emotion your child is feeling; research demonstrates that naming an emotion decreases its intensity. In a difficult moment, taking the time to say, "I see that you are really sad" can be incredibly soothing to your child. Focus on the Present Moment Worried brains tend to focus on the future, predicting all of the scary things that might happen. Teach your child how to gently bring their mind back to the present moment by practicing mindfulness. Being mindful simply means that you are purposefully paying attention to the present moment without judging it as good or bad. Try playing a mindful "I Spy" in which you count all of the objects of a certain color in the space around you. You can mindfully eat, dance, walk, listen to music—the sky is the limit! Create a New Routine Flexibly following a consistent plan day-to-day provides

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COVID-19: Strategies to Support Your Young Child and Yourself 2020-08-14T16:04:11-04:00

COVID-19 Self-Care: Get Moving

Managing Anxiety July 16, 2020 11:47 am

This summer, many kids and families find themselves without much anticipated camps, trips to the pool, or vacations. Months into the COVID-19 pandemic, children are missing their friends, mourning the loss summer adventures, and worrying about what form school will take in the fall.  While splashing at the pool or playing on a sports team might not be possible this summer, finding other ways to get moving can help improve your child’s mood. Physical activity, whether it’s dancing, walking the dog, gardening, or riding a bike, can provide some relief from anxiety and COVID-19 summertime blues. Magination Press offers books for young children and teens that encourage physical movement or exercise. Bee Calm: The Buzz on Yoga by Frank J. Sileo, PhD, illustrated by Claire Keay, introduces kids to beginning yoga poses such as Mountain, Chair, Airplane, Cobra, and more. A note to parents and caregivers provides suggestions for introducing children to yoga and instructions for the poses in the story. Ready to start feeling better? Move and groove your way into a better mood! Move Your Mood!  by Brenda S. Miles, PhD, and Colleen A. Patterson, MA, illustrated by Holly Clifton-Brown, invites kids to explore their emotions through movement and introduces the idea that moving our bodies affects the way we feel inside. A note to parents, caregivers, and teachers provides suggestions for how to use the book with your child, and additional ideas for teaching your child about emotions. These books for teens provide more comprehensive guides toward self-care: Depression: A Teen's Guide to Survive and Thrive by Jacqueline B. Toner, PhD, and Claire A. B. Freeland, PhD, draws on Cognitive Behavior Therapy to help teens understand depression, and provides practical information on actions they can take to start feeling better. How to Feel Good: 20 Things Teens Can Do by Tricia Mangan, MA, offers strategies for teens to use to slow down and and pay attention to how they feel and what they think about themselves. Suggestions of "ways to be kind to your whole self" explore how caring for your physical body can improve your mood. Getting moving is a great way for kids and families to spend time together and feel better. If your child seems especially anxious or you are concerned about depression, please seek professional help. APA can help you find a psychologist near you, and during the pandemic, socially distant appointments are available.

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COVID-19 Self-Care: Get Moving 2020-11-16T21:54:17-05:00