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Get Moving! Books to Celebrate National Physical Fitness Month

Managing Anxiety May 20, 2021 10:00 am

In honor of National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, we're reposting a piece from July 2020. It features books that get kids moving. Physical activity, whether it’s playing a sport, dancing, walking the dog, gardening, or riding a bike, can reduce stress and improve mood! 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.

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Get Moving! Books to Celebrate National Physical Fitness Month 2021-05-18T11:56:16-04:00

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

Magination Press Quick Tip: Supporting Your Child with Depression by Fostering Positive Thinking

Managing Anxiety November 25, 2019 10:00 am By James Foley, DEd
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October is recognized as Depression Education and Awareness Month, but any parent with a child who suffers from depression knows that kids need support year round. Dr. James Foley, author of Magination Press’s book, Danny and the Blue Cloud: Coping with Childhood Depression, offers these insights and tips for parents supporting children who suffer from depression. Four ways to increase your child’s positive thinking Depression is often characterized by negative and/or distorted thinking. You may notice your child more frequently engaging in negative self-talk such as, “I’m a dummy" or "I can never do this.” Such statements may indicate a pattern of negative thinking. Here are a few tips to begin the process of positive change: Set the stage for positive thinking through movement. Engage in a physical activity that your child enjoys on a regular schedule, especially when your child appears “down." Exercise elevates mood. Help your child think about the good things and not just the bad things. For example, involve your child in creating an electronic or paper collage filled with their wonderful qualities. Help your child think about what he or she can do and not what he or she can’t do. Make a list of your child’s positive accomplishments. Point out your child’s achievements, even small ones:  “You were a big help emptying the dishwasher today.” Model positive self-talk for your child: “I am really happy and proud that I finished all my work today.” Fostering small positive changes in the way your child thinks and acts can help them change the negative thinking that often accompanies depression. These tips are from James Foley, DEd, author of Magination Press’s book, Danny and the Blue Cloud: Coping with Childhood Depression.

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Magination Press Quick Tip: Supporting Your Child with Depression by Fostering Positive Thinking 2020-03-23T14:17:45-04:00