These are incredibly confusing times for everyone. There is a lot of conflicting information available, which can make it hard to decide how to talk to your kids about it. Today I wanted to share some resources to help you and your family during this difficult time, including a free children’s book that shares how to talk to kids about the pandemic.

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Kelly Stays Home: The Science of Coronavirus was written by Lauren Block MD MPH and Adam Block PhD and illustrated by Alex Brissenden. The authors are a married couple with 3 young children. They wrote this book to teach children about coronavirus, transmission of viruses, and why we are staying home. It tackles the many questions that kids have right now, including why they can’t go to the playground, and why they can’t see their friends and their grandparents. The book also tackles vaccines, and shares a great metaphor for how they help the body to fight off viruses.

The illustrations are colorful and do a great job of illustrating the virus and the importance of washing your hands to defend against it. The book comes in two forms: a Little Kid pdf (for ages 3-6) and a Big Kid pdf. (for ages 7-11). They both cover the same story and topics, but with an age appropriate amount of text.

Resources for the Family

Remembering These Times

This is a moment in history. For kids, they may not remember a lot about this time, other than that they were home a lot. This free printable Pandemic journal is a great way to help them record their memories and feelings of this time. Plus, it can be a great conversation starter so you can connect with them and help them to deal with the strong emotions they may be having.

Crisis-Schooling

If you are currently trying to teach your kids from home, you may be dealing with a lot of frustration. Schools are trying to make this process up as they go, and that can lead to a lot of confusion for both parents and kids. I read somewhere that we aren’t homeschooling at this time, but “crisis-schooling”, and I love this description. If you were homeschooling, you would have your own curriculum and plans. Crisis-schooling is our attempt to keep the educational structures of school going from home. To help your family with all the stresses of crisis-schooling, I created this printable Crisis-Schooling Planner. With blank pages for planning, and tons of ideas for boredom busting, educational screen time, and celebrating every milestone, it can help your family to stay on track while you work through this time.

Calming Big Emotions

I don’t know about your house, but my daughter is definitely feeling some big emotions during this quarantine. I don’t blame her because I am too! To help her address these big emotions, and to head off any meltdowns before they start, we have been using the tools in this printable Calm Down Kit. From breathing exercises and stretches, to activities that can help them to reset and work through anger and frustration, there are lots of tools that can help you to address big emotions with your kids.

Keeping Busy

If your family is anything like ours, you are looking for some easy activities to keep you entertained and engaged while you are staying at home. This list of 25 low/no prep activities includes all kinds of fun games, activities, and art projects to keep you learning, laughing, and building memories while spending time at home.

How is your family handling quarantine? Do you have an idea how to talk to kids about the pandemic? Share in the comments!

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