Washington Listens
Connections with Others
Living in a pandemic, many times, we feel isolated and lonely. If you need someone to connect with, Washington Listens (WA Listens) is there for you verbally or virtually. They offer non-clinical support to any Washington resident who feels sad, anxious, or stressed out due to the challenging times of COVID-19. WA Listens is anonymous and free of charge. The support specialists listen and help guide you to your community's connections. Currently, conversations are primarily via telephone, but they are trying to create more options for individuals to access support by adding texting, online resources, and more culturally accessible options. WA Listens helps adults build a sense of community support instead of feeling alone, resulting in a more positive and healthier state of mind where families and caregivers are better equipped to parent and engage with their children. Click the link below to learn more about Washington Listens and to locate the phone number or Zoom schedules.
National Alliance on Mental Illness
Connections with Others
Dealing with mental health is more important now during these difficult times with Covid-19 than ever before. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is the nation’s largest mental health organization. They are devoted to improving the lives affected by mental illness, providing education and support to people living with mental illness and their families. Mental illness can affect any person of any age and occur in any family. Having a mental illness is not caused by bad parenting or evidence of weakness. Locally, NAMI Snohomish County offers three free online support groups. These groups are currently held virtually, confidential, and led by trained peer facilitators who’ve been in similar situations. They are open to everyone, regardless of where you live. Know you are not alone. Living with a mental illness or supporting a loved one with mental illness can be challenging and NAMI Snohomish County has your back. To learn more about NAMI Snohomish County or locate their times and Zoom links, click on the button below.
PBS KIDS
Meaningful Interactions
Are you struggling with what to do with your preschooler while stuck at home during these untraditional times? Or are you unsure where to search for ideas and wondering how to spark their learning? Well, I have the resource for you. More commonly known as PBS, the Public Broadcasting System has changed over the years. It has grown from television to include various free resources to support families through PBS KIDS video and game apps. Moreover, you can find many activities, tips, crafts, and more for children ages two to eight on PBS KIDS for Parents page. Another one of my favorite resource PBS KIDS offers is their weekly newsletter delivered directly to your email. It provides you with activities and tips to help kids learn at home by providing fresh ideas on engaging with your child meaningfully to support their learning and development. Removing the endless searching creates more time for you and your child to have intentional interactions that is fun and educational. To learn more about PBS KIDS or to sign up for their weekly newsletter, click on the button below.
Sesame Street in Communities
Meaningful Interactions
In my family and many others over the last fifty years, Sesame Street has become a tradition for childhood. These iconic furry Muppets have always invoked learning in a playful and meaningful manner that supports the growth and development of children. Today, you can find Sesame Street on television, apps, and websites. They have expanded their design to include Sesame Street Communities and have topics based on health and wellness, social-emotional skills, and school readiness. Each area covers real-life situations children may encounter, such as Racial Justice, Exploring Emotions, and building language skills. Sesame Street Communities also help families to engage meaningfully with children during everyday moments by providing videos, activities, printables, and digital interactives featuring fun, friendly, furry friends, like Elmo, Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, and Zoe, to name a few. These multi-media tools are designed to support children during the critical time of brain development from birth to six years old. This is also a crucial time for families to increase their interaction with their children, making a lasting difference in their development. Sesame Street Community has all of these materials for free and presents them in both English and Spanish.
The Difficult Times & Tough Talks section has many topics that are not only for children to deal with but also challenging for families to talk about. One focused area in this section that I find helpful is Health Emergencies. I believe this can supports children’s mental health in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. To learn more about Sesame Street Communities, click on the button below.
Social-Emotional Skills Preschoolers Need
Health & Well-Being
Do you know what social-emotional skills your preschooler needs or why they need them to succeed throughout their learning journey? HighScope, a high-quality early learning program with a play-based, child-centered curriculum, has you covered. They have created an infographic that identifies nine social-emotional skills preschoolers need in supporting their growth and development. This is important because social-emotional skills are foundational pillars in successful learning. These skills foster higher-order thinking, self-regulation, and abilities to solve social problems. They also contribute to building relationships, empathy skills, and positive self-efficacy.
Helping Children Cope (COVID-19)
Health & Well-Being
This pandemic has been a rollercoaster of stress and anxiety for many people. Children are always watching and learning how adults handle situations, such as wearing masks, staying home, or not attending social events models how the child could respond. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the nation's health protection agency, believes adults that are more informed on what behaviors to expect and how to respond to children dealing with the stressful issues around COVID-19 reassure the child more. Educating adults, the CDC has provided a list of stressful behaviors to watch for in your child and ways to support them during this time. They also note that not all children will act the same way when stressed, but the list contains more common traits. This list is printable and comes in multiple languages. The CDC also provides resources for families on topics that can contribute to the stress load during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mental and Emotional Well-being
Health & Well-Being
Living in a pandemic can bring on added stress and if you need some help, you are not alone. Washington State Coronavirus Response (COVID-19) provides mental and emotional well-being support. They have created a list of crisis and self-care resources, a podcast, and a blog to support individuals in a time of need during the pandemic. They also have various links to smartphone apps and additional resources for children, teens, and adults. There is no shame in reaching out for help. By taking care of yourself first, you are more equipped to parent and care for your child’s needs.