Resources For Parents And Children During Coronavirus

There are so many resources out there about talking to kids and keeping kids emotionally healthy during this pandemic and it can be overwhelming to sort through them all or know which ones are best. Here are a few of our favorite resources, mostly for younger and school age children (0-12 years old). Parents should go through these resources before sharing with children to ensure the content is developmentally-appropriate.

Talking to Your Child About Coronavirus​

• Child Mind Institute, "Talking to Kids About the Coronavirus"
  • https://childmind.org/article/talking-to-kids-about-the-coronavirus/
• PBS Kids, "How to Talk to Your Kids About Coronavirus"
  • ​https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/how-to-talk-to-your-kids-about-coronavirus
• KidsHealth.org, "How to Talk To Your Child (For Parents)"
  • ​https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/coronavirus-how-talk-child.html

Social Stories & Resources for Children with Autism

• Carol Gray Social Story
  • https://carolgraysocialstories.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Pandemics-and-the-Coronavirus.pdf​
• Intended for individuals with autism.This resource is also available in Spanish, Russian, Chinese, and Arabic.
  • https://paautism.org/resource/coronavirus-social-story/​
• Autism Speaks (including non-English resources)
  • https://www.autismspeaks.org/covid-19-information-and-resources-families​
  • https://www.autismspeaks.org/covid-19-non-english-resources
• National Autism Association
  • https://nationalautismassociation.org/covid-19-resources-for-families/​

Supporting Your Child's Emotional Well-Being

• Child Trends, multiple resources:
  • https://www.childtrends.org/publications/resources-for-supporting-childrens-emotional-well-being-during-the-covid-19-pandemic
• "Digital Calm Corner": an interactive website where children can identify emotions and be guided through developmentally-appropriate coping strategies (good for any day!) 
  • https://wow.boomlearning.com/play/Prao8RpzQyaivWZnE/teacher  

School and Educational Activities

• Syracuse City School District learning at home resources
  • ​http://www.syracusecityschools.com/districtpage.cfm?pageid=11145&link_id=1&can_id=7af8f4d52b107104b9ac308b8d4f610a&source=email-covid-update-5&email_referrer=email_762338&email_subject=covid-update​
• WCNY's TV Classroom: Live broadcasts Monday - Friday 8am-5pm. Videos available On-Demand
  • ​https://www.wcny.org/tvclassroom/​
• Onondaga County Public Library: "While You're At Home" Activities
  • https://www.onlib.org/while-youre-home​
• NYSUT Family Resources & Activities
  • https://www.nysut.org/news/2020/march/coronavirus-families

Food Support

• Syracuse City School District Bagged Breakfast and Lunch Pick-Up Sites
  • Monday, Wednesday, Friday 10am-12pm​
  • www.syracusecityschools.com/districtpage.cfm?pageid=11151&link_id=0&can_id=7af8f4d52b107104b9ac308b8d4f610a&source=email-covid-update-5&email_referrer=email_762338&email_subject=covid-update

Self Care and Mental Health For Parents

• Headspace: meditation app offering all free access to its Weathering the Storm section, Workplace Toolkit, Guided Meditations
  • Healthcare workers with an NPI receive free subscription
  • Download in the App Store​, get it on Googe Play or go to www.headspace.com
• ​Calm: app and website for meditation, sleep stories and soothing sounds; 30 day free trial
  • https://app.www.calm.com/meditate
• ​​​NAMI (National​ Alliance on Mental Illness) COVID-19 Resource and Information Guide