Living through a pandemic can be frightening and full of disappointments. Whether it be the abrupt end of attending bricks and mortar school, the uncertainty about whether summer vacations or camps will occur, or learning ways to manage the disorienting feeling of life on pause, such realities can make children feel anxious and dysregulated. Helping children understand their feelings and how to cope is critical during this time. The resources here, provided by The Washington Post, can help parents talk with their children about the novel coronavirus, teach relaxation and mindfulness, and help them navigate this unusual time.
- On YouTube, Moovlee offers yoga and meditation exercises for kids that are led by a cartoon monkey.
- The Child Mind Institute is hosting daily live streams at 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Eastern with therapists on its Facebook page.
- GoZenOnline offers anxiety relief songs, relaxation exercises and tips for parents on its YouTube channel.
- Cosmic Kids has fun mindfulness exercises for kids on its YouTube channel.
- The well-known meditation app Headspace now has an app for kids.
- Susan Kaiser Greenland, author of “The Mindful Child,” has turned her website into a database to help parents and kids coping with the pandemic. Resources are divided into “mindful games,” with breathing exercises and creative ways to help kids stay calm, and “response to covid-19,” which has information on a pay-what-you-can course, hosted by a group of therapists, about how to respond to children’s needs.
- Chanel Tsang’s Peace Out is a podcast with relaxation stories for kids.
- “First Aid for Feelings: A Workbook to Help Kids Cope During the Coronavirus Pandemic” is a free workbook created by parenting expert Denise Daniels.
- Sesame Street’s “Little Children, Big Challenges” initiative includes an app, inspired by the popular children’s television show, to help children learn problem-solving strategies and emotional regulation.
- Child psychologist Abigail Gewirtz wrote a script to be used as a guide for talking to children about the coronavirus.
- “Stop, Breathe & Think for Kids” is an app to help children focus, relax and rest.
- Child-care expert Janet Lansbury talks about respectful parenting on her podcast “Unruffled.” Recent episodes have covered topics related to the outbreak.
- The National Child Traumatic Stress Network has put out a coronavirus fact sheet with details about how the pandemic might affect the mental well-being of children.
- The Fred Rogers Center put together a compendium of resources for parents.
- “What happens when coronavirus changes EVERYTHING?” is a downloadable PDF guidebook by Sara Olsher for coping with ruptures in routine as a result of the pandemic.
