mindfulness: 6 Articles

When Things Go Boom! Helping Your Child With Their Fear of Storms

Storms are a very common childhood fear. They are loud, unpredictable, and out of human control, which can feel very scary to children. Julia Martin Burch, PhD, offers some tips for parents to support children who are afraid of storms in the Note to Readers from Booma Booma Boom by Gail Silver.  Validate Their Emotions Let your child know that it’s ok that they feel afraid of thunderstorms. Well-intentioned parents sometimes minimize a child’s fear in hopes that the child will stop worrying, but dismissing an emotion tends to have the opposite effect. The child does not feel heard or taken seriously and as a result, often has an ever bigger emotional reaction. Instead, it is helpful to say something like, “I understand that you feel very scared when you hear thunder” or “you’re really worried about a storm coming tonight.” By communicating that you understand your child is afraid, you help them feel heard, which is soothing.  By communicating that you understand your child is afraid, you help them feel heard, which is soothing.  Educate Share age-appropriate information about storms with your child. For example, in the story, the main character reminds himself that rain helps plants grow and that thunder isn’t dangerous, but is just surprising when it arrives suddenly. Consider sharing interesting storm facts, such as that thunder is the sound caused by lightning or that light travels faster than sound, so we see lightning before we hear thunder.  Teach Your Child to Self-Soothe Kids feel more confident facing fears when they know how to calm themselves down. Teach your child how to soothe themselves in scary moments.  Focusing on a particular sense and engaging in a pleasant activity using that sense is a great place to start. For example, they might look at pictures of a loved one or a fun vacation, listen to a calming song or white noise machine, smell a comforting object or scented lotion, or focus on a cool drink of water. Coach them to fully focus on the sense and how the activity makes them feel when they try it. Get curious afterward about which helped them feel most calm.  It can also be helpful to focus on one thing in the environment, such as watching the raindrops as the character does in the story. Try to make this activity game-like, for example guessing which raindrop will make it to the bottom of the pane first.  Finally, teach your child to take slow, calming breaths into their belly when they are afraid. A fun way to teach this skill is by putting a stuffed animal on your child’s belly and having them raise it up and down with their breath.  No matter which strategies you teach your child, it is best to teach them for the first time in a calm moment (i.e. not in the middle of a thunderstorm!). Practice the strategies often with your child so that they are very familiar with them and can call on them

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When Things Go Boom! Helping Your Child With Their Fear of Storms 2022-03-03T16:28:47-05:00

Help Your Child Manage Transitions During COVID-19 and the Holidays

Transitions Can Be Hard A child’s life is full of transitions. Most of these are small and occur daily, such as shifts from home to school or from play to responsibilities. Around the winter holidays children typically face a series of much bigger transitions including from school to home, routine to down time, and back again over the course of just a few weeks! This annual period of upheaval in routine is further complicated this year by the COVID-19 pandemic. Children typically only have to transition in and out of school around the holidays; this year many children have been shifting between in-person, remote, and hybrid learning almost all  year. These changes can be taxing to many children and may make them more vulnerable to struggle with the upcoming holiday transitions. Luckily, there are several simple steps that parents can take to help their child prepare for and skillfully adapt to the many transitions of the season. Talk About It Well intended parents often do not mention upcoming transitions to children with the noble intention of sparing them potential stress. However, kids typically do best when their world is predictable, and they know what to expect. Discuss the upcoming transition with your child during a calm moment. Review what will be different and check in on how they are feeling. For example, a parent might say “In two days your winter break will start! That means you will not go to school. You will be home with grandma at first and then with me. It will feel pretty different than a normal school day. How are you feeling about that?”. If your child shares worry or uncertainty, validate their feelings. Additionally, allow time for them to ask questions about the changes. When you answer the questions, express confidence in their ability to handle the transition well. Create Routines Transitions often feel stressful to children because of their inherent unpredictability compared to normal life. Even when the new activity is something fun like making cookies or going sledding, day after day of unpredictability can wear on children. Whether going back to school after a holiday break or from to remote learning from in-person, look for opportunities to make the days as predictable as possible for your child. Talk with your child about how they want to spend their time. Though holiday break days can and should have more flexibility than normal school days, try to stick with a relatively consistent schedule that includes similar sleep, meal, and movement times each day. It’s also important to build time for relaxation and soothing activities like a “mindful minute” during each day. Try to help your child find a balance between being over- and under-scheduled. As you and your child collaboratively make their schedule, get specific about what they will do independently during the day and what they need your help with. Breaks can be a great opportunity for kids to practice taking on new self-care tasks with more independence. This will make

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Help Your Child Manage Transitions During COVID-19 and the Holidays 2020-12-09T21:37:26-05:00

Build Your Library: COVID-19 Resources

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