It seems the whole world is fascinated with the proper way to wash your hands. As the single biggest preventative factor in curbing the spread of Covid-19, there are few topics more important. This free video from BrainPop explains to kids the proper way to wash your hands.
For more information and resources related to Covid-19, please visit our Covid-19 (Coronavirus) Resource Page.
This free video from BrainPop explains coronavirus in terms that kids can understand. The website, explains:
It can be scary to hear about a disease outbreak, but learning the facts can help ease your mind. A new coronavirus—a type of virus named for its crown-like shape—emerged in Wuhan, China in 2019, and then spread to people around the world. While the most severe cases often dominate the headlines, they’re not the whole story. Most coronavirus cases have been mild, and healthy bodies can fight off the infection on their own. Find out more about how viruses work, and the best ways to prevent them from infecting more people. Viruses can’t spread without our help, so click play to learn how not to help them!
This is a great resource to start a conversation about the virus.
The following comic from NPR was developed by Malaka Gharib to help teach kids about the Covid-19 virus. With kid friendly language and illustrations, it tackles what the virus is and what young people can do to reduce their risk of getting it. You can find a printable and foldable copy of the comic by clicking here.
In order to help our kids, we must first deal with our own stress related to Covid-19 (Corona Virus). The graphic below from the World Health Organization offers some useful tips on dealing with Covid-19 Stress. Click on the image below for a full screen pdf version.
For more information and resources related to Covid-19, please visit our Covid-19 (Coronavirus) Resource Page.
There is a lot of confusion about what certain symptoms might mean. As the parents of a 12-year-old diagnosed earlier today with what I’m calling the “good ‘ol fashioned” flu, the following chart from Business Insider comparing the symptoms of Covid-19 to other ailments would have been helpful. In hindsight, his symptoms definitely line up with the flu, and having this information ahead of time would have helped with his anxiety.
Click here for the original article that contained this chart.
For more information and resources related to Covid-19, please visit our Covid-19 (Coronavirus) Resource Page.
Too many times people think that divorce doesn’t have much of an impact on teens and young adults. “The Effect of Divorce on Teens and Young Adults” from The Independent contradicts that notion.
Here is an excerpt from the article:
Ten years ago, if anyone had told me they were postponing divorce “till the children are older” I’d have thought their words made perfect sense. Back then, my children were one, five, eight and 10. I wouldn’t have been able to imagine the effect on them of hearing that their father and I were splitting up. Whose house would they live in? How would they cope without bedtime cuddles from both of us? What would weekends and holidays be like for them without the two of us around? So much better to postpone it, I’d have mused: by the time they were older and living their own lives, they’d hardly even notice the break-up.
Today, though, my elder daughters are almost 21 and 18 – and I now realise that, however hard it would have been for them to cope with a family split when they were younger, it would, if anything, be worse for them to have to face it now. And if I already knew that somewhere deep inside the fallout on the son of Chris Huhne and Vicky Pryce from their break-up, as tragically documented during last week’s court case, only underlines the issues.
“Helping Teens Deal With Divorce” from the TeensHealth portion of KidHealth.org helps teens with various issues related to the divorce of parents. It is packed with useful tips and information for teens going through the divorce of their parents. It covers topics including:
LINK: http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/Parents/divorce.html
Welcome to Fidgets 101. In this series, we will review a variety of fidget toys over the coming months. Before we do that though, an introduction to Fidgets 101 is in order. Unless you’ve lived under a rock for the last couple of years, chances are that you’ve played with, seen or heard about Fidget Spinner. They burst onto the scene in the Summer of 2017, seemingly out of nowhere, and became the focus (pun intended) of young people everywhere. Fidgets, though, have been around forever. From the Chinese baoding balls (sometimes called Chinese Stress Balls) created in the 14th century to greek worry beads known as kompoloi which were used by monks 800 years ago to todays fidgets spinners and cubes, there have always been outlets for human’s insatiable need to fidget.
A fidget is any sort of object that people fiddle with to help them to maintain their focus on something else. As described in more detail in the video below, a fidget is a kind of coping mechanism.
The science is still out on why fidgets work. One theory is that fidgets occupy our “floating attention.” We all have what is called “floating attention” which is that little bit of attention that is placed away from our principal activity no matter what we are doing. For some people, their floating attention isn’t well regulated and gets spread across tons of activities. Using a fidget gives that “floating attention” something to focus on which allows you to focus better on the primary items of focus.
The teen years can be a particularly hard time for children to experience the divorce of their parents. “Helping Parents and Teens Adjust to Divorce” from Risa Garcon explains why and offers some practical advice to both parents and teens. Here is an excerpt from the article:
Divorced parents of teens often wonder if their children’s behavior and family relationship challenges are due to simply being a teen or due to the separation or divorce. A simple answer is that it may be both. A more honest answer suggests that it will depend on both the parent and the child. Some parents say that it depends on the day or the hour.
Certainly, adolescence is a time of working toward independence and establishing an identify separate from each parent’s. This change doesn’t occur suddenly; it happens over time. Everyday tasks that were once prescribed by parents now may become a point of contention with the child, including how bedrooms are kept, when homework gets done and how parents monitor their adolescent’s whereabouts. If a parent has built a fairly healthy relationship with a child in the past, the parent and child may continue to have a civil relationship.
What happens with separation and divorce is that it makes home life more complicated. Parents are going through their own losses and have a boatload of stresses being a single parent. Parents may also mourn a loss similar to the loss their children experience — the loss of the family unit as they knew it. Teens are greatly affected by family change. Although some teens express relief that they don’t have to listen to their parents fighting anymore, many of their peers grieve the loss of their family, worry about money, worry about their parents’ well-being, worry about the family pets and feel guilty thinking that they might be part of the reason their parents are separating.
From kidshealth.org, “Advice For Parents Getting A Divorce” is intended to help parents who are currently going through a divorce. The article starts with the following honest assessment:
What’s the best way to help your family get through a divorce? Every situation — and every family — is different. But some stress reducing guidelines might make the adjustment a bit easier.
These suggestions can make the process less painful for kids, teens, and families. Parents will need to interpret them in their own ways; honesty, sensitivity, self-control, and time itself will help the healing process. Be patient — not everyone’s timetable is the same.
This article includes helpful advice for parents on:
Here is one important piece of advice from the article:
It’s important for divorcing — and already divorced — parents to sit down with their kids and encourage them to say what they’re thinking and feeling. But you’ll need to keep this separate from your own feelings. Most often, children experience a sense of loss of family and may blame you or the other parent — or both — for what is going on in their lives. So, you’ll really need to be prepared to answer questions your kids might raise or to address their concerns.
LINK: http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/talk/divorce.html
For more resources and information on divorce, family disruption and modern families please visit our Hope 4 Hurting Kids Divorce and Modern Family Help Center.