Mental Health

How:

Times that provoke fear and anxiety are times we can spend with our children and youth to help them become resilient. Discussing their anxiety and providing them with age appropriate information and outlets for their fear is so important.

My Big Life Journal - free printables designed to help raise resilient and happy children

Coping with Anxiety related to COVID-19

What is the Corona Virus (a short book about the virus – K –Grade 3)

Help Educate Your Child/Youth about the Corona Virus -

• If your older child/teen is learning ratios, proportions, or percentages at school, you may ask them to read up about the numbers of people affected in the US at a reliable source, such as CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-in-us.html. When your child/teen calculates the proportion of people affected out of the whole population, etc., this will help them find out for themselves that the likelihood of being affected with coronavirus and especially being afflicted with the severe form of the disease, is low for most people.

• For an older child/teen who has an interest in science, you may talk with them about antigens and antibodies. For those interested in history and science, you may give them reading material from authentic sources about how previous disease outbreaks in the world were handled. This may help your child/teen know how diseases were eradicated, how the world got through previous outbreaks, and therefore, can get through this one too. Netflix has a series called “Pandemic” which is a very scientific look at past and future pandemics and those around the world working hard to keep us all safe.

• For a young child, you may talk to them (or draw/paint pictures with them) about our body’s own strong warriors which spring forth to fight infections, and how eating healthy foods can make those warriors stronger. You may also talk to them about how many warriors outside, such as scientists, healthcare professionals and others, are working actively to protect people from acquiring this disease.

Kindle has a free book (B is for Breathe) with multiple activities that can be used with the reading: