• Supporting Your Teen during COVID-19--https://childmind.org/article/supporting-teenagers-and-young-adults-during-the-coronavirus-crisis/

• Talking to Kids about COVID-19-https://childmind.org/article/talking-to-kids-about-the-coronavirus/

• Parenting Ideas of How to Talk About COVID-19 https://www.ahaparenting.com/blog/talking-with-children-about-the-corona-virus?fbclid=IwAR3cYVHpbojY-osAFRf7CiQFwrvySUnVXZHc5Ujc7KydTE14QBoGPZRgz6c

• How to Build at Home Structures--https://makesociallearningstick.com/keep-calm-and-structure-on-how-to-manage-emotions-and-build-structure-at-home-during-covid-19/?fbclid=IwAR1DF4P78e2B8kQOoEuzQlDg4IYgjqwCfld-bsOiegzrrvA2uxEnritFDpQ

• How to Make a New Home Routine-https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/schools-closed-how-to-make-a-new-home-routine

• Sample Daily Schedule for Students with Attention Challenges-https://www.additudemag.com/daily-schedule-coronavirus-home-school/

• Daily Activities--https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2020/03/activities-kids-coronavirus-quarantine/608110/

• Sample Daily Schedule-https://www.prodigygame.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/COVID-19-Daily-Schedule-for-Families.pdf

• Find apps and games that kids can use electronically . You can search apps and games based on what area of thinking you want them to work on and the students age level-https://learningworksforkids.com/playbooks/

• 
  

Anxiety Resources--https://adaa.org/finding-help/coronavirus-anxiety-helpful-resources

Talking to Kids About the Coronavirus (this has a short video for parents to watch which is nice!)

Gozen Anxiety Resources--Tools and videos for parents about the anxiety around the coronavirus and kids

Coping Skills for Kids-Coping tools for kids that parents can do at home

• Free Social-Emotional Learning Resources--https://www.mylemarks.com/store/c36/FREE_DOWNLOADS.html

• Free Social-Emotional Learning Resources--https://www.centervention.com/social-emotional-learning-activities/

• Free Social-Emotional Learning Resources --http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/resources/family.html

• Free Social-Emotional Learning Resources--https://www.education.com/worksheets/social-emotional-learning/

Tips on How to Improve Mental Health--https://www.bananatreelog.com/blog/mental-health-covid-19

Anxiety: Helping Handout for School and Home https://www.nasponline.org/x55101.xml •

Care for Caregivers: Tips for Families and Educators https://www.nasponline.org/x55067.xml

Depression: Helping Handout for Home https://www.nasponline.org/x55105.xml

Engagement and Motivation: Helping Handout for Home https://www.nasponline.org/x55100.xml •

Grief: Helping Handout for Home https://www.nasponline.org/x55106.xml

Sleep Problems: Helping Handouts for Home https://www.nasponline.org/x55108.xml

https://www.pta.org/home/family-resources/coronavirus-information

https://childmind.org/coping-during-covid-19-resources-for-parents/

Parents Guide to Virtual Learning https://www.ncld.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/A-Parents-Guide-to-Virtual-Learning-4-Actions-ToImprove-your-Childs-Experience-with-Online-Learning.pdf •

NCTSN Parent/Caregiver guide to helping families cope with COVID-19: https://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/resources/fact-sheet/outbreak_factsheet_1.pdf •

SAMHSA Coping with stress during infectious disease outbreak: https://store.samhsa.gov/system/files/sma14-4885.pdf

Action for Healthy Kids Resources for Families during COVID-19: https://www.actionforhealthykids.org/resources-for-schools-and-families-during-covid-19-coronavirus/ •

Proactive strategies help create predictability and structure.

• Document: Tips for Creating a Home Learning Environment

• Activity: Create a simple schedule that includes movement breaks and takes into consideration the realities of your current home life.

General Strategies

• Create routines and be consistent.

• Be clear with your expectations. Give instructions while sitting next to your child and check for understanding.

• Provide transition warnings, timers, cues, countdowns, songs, etc.

• Be aware of hunger, fatigue, anxiety or other emotions, and any distractions in the environment. Take care of these first before your child can be ready to learn.

• Utilize shared control. Allow your child to develop the daily schedule with you. Give them choices of activities.

• Make time for quality interaction that is fun

Video: Praise Technique

Resource: Using Behavior Charts

General Strategies

• Acknowledge positive behaviors. Model gratitude and build self-awareness by thanking your child for their hard work in a specific way (ex: "I'm really impressed with how you kept trying even though you didn't know the answer")

• Use reward charts when your child struggles to stay focused and persevere when things get hard. It is important to fade them once your child has developed the ability.

• Ensure your expectations are within the level of your child’s development. Rewards will not override developmental readiness.

Resource: PBIS World

General Strategies

• Set rules and be consistent

• When escalated, give your child time and space to calm down. When your child is calm, return to the original task. Do your best to follow through with your expectations.

• Manage your own emotions. It is ok to take a step back and acknowledge your feelings and need for time and space.

• How to Support Behavior--https://www.empoweringparents.com/articles/

• How to Motivate Your Child-http://www.imom.com/10-ways-to-motivate-your-child/#.XoJmK4hKjIX

STAY CALM, LISTEN, AND OFFER REASSURANCE

• Be a role model. Children will react to and follow your reactions. They learn from your example.

• Be aware of how you talk about COVID-19. Your discussion about COVID-19 can increase or decrease your child's fear. If true, remind your child that your family is healthy, and you are going to do everything within your power to keep loved ones safe and well. Carefully listen or have them draw or write out their thoughts and feelings and respond with truth and reassurance.

• Explain social distancing. Children probably don’t fully understand why parents/guardians aren’t allowing them to be with friends. Tell your child that your family is following the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which include social distancing. Social distancing means staying away from others until the risk of contracting COVID-19 is under control. Showing older children the "flatten the curve" charts will help them grasp the significance of social distancing. Explain that while we don't know how long it will take to "flatten the curve" to reduce the number of those infected, we do know that this is a critical time—we must follow the guidelines of health experts to do our part.

• Demonstrate deep breathing. Deep breathing is a valuable tool for calming the nervous system. Do breathing exercises with your children.

• Focus on the positive. Celebrate having more time to spend as a family. Make it as fun as possible. Do family projects. Organize belongings, create masterpieces. Sing, laugh, and go outside, if possible, to connect with nature and get needed exercise. Allow older children to connect with their friends virtually.

• Establish and maintain a daily routine. Keeping a regular schedule provides a sense of control, predictability, calm, and well-being. It also helps children and other family members respect others’ need for quiet or uninterrupted time and when they can connect with friends virtually.

• Identify projects that might help others. This could include: writing letters to the neighbors or others who might be stuck at home alone or to healthcare workers; sending positive messages over social media; or reading a favorite children’s book on a social media platform for younger children to hear.

• Offer lots of love and affection.

MONITOR TELEVISION VIEWING AND SOCIAL MEDIA

• Parents/guardians should monitor television, internet, and social media viewing—both for themselves and their children. Watching continual updates on COVID-19 may increase fear and anxiety. Developmentally inappropriate information, or information designed for adults, can also cause anxiety or confusion, particularly in young children.

• Dispel rumors and inaccurate information. Explain to your child that many stories about COVID-19 on the internet may include rumors and inaccurate information. Older children, in particular, may be accessing a great deal of information online and from friends that contains inaccuracies. Talk to your child about factual disease information.

• Provide alternatives. Engage your child in games or other exciting activities instead.

TAKE TIME TO TALK

• Let your children's questions guide you. Answer their questions truthfully, but don't offer unnecessary details or facts. Don't avoid giving them the information that experts indicate as crucial to your children's well-being. Often, children and youth do not talk about their concerns because they are confused or don't want to worry loved ones. Younger children absorb scary information in waves. They ask questions, listen, play, and then repeat the cycle. Children always feel empowered if they can control some aspects of their life. A sense of control reduces fear.

BE HONEST AND ACCURATE

• Correct misinformation. Children often imagine situations worse than reality; therefore, offering developmentally appropriate facts can reduce fears.

• Explain simple safety steps. Tell your child this disease spreads between people who are in close contact with one another, when an infected person coughs or sneezes, or when one touches infected objects or surfaces.

• Stay up-to-date on the facts. Go to https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.htmlfor additional factual information.

KEEP EXPLANATIONS AGE-APPROPRIATE

• Early elementary school children. Provide brief, simple information that balances COVID-19 facts with appropriate reassurances that adults are there to help keep them healthy and to take care of them if they do get sick. Give simple examples of the steps people make every day to stop germs and stay healthy, such as washing hands. Use language such as "adults are working hard to keep you safe."

• Upper elementary and early middle school children. This age group often is more vocal in asking questions about whether they indeed are safe and what will happen if COVID-19 spreads in their area. They may need assistance separating reality from rumor and fantasy. Discuss the efforts national, state, and community leaders are doing to prevent germs from spreading.

• Upper middle and high school students. Issues can be discussed in more depth. Refer them to appropriate sources of COVID-19 facts. Provide honest, accurate, and factual information about the current status of COVID-19. Engage them in decision-making about family plans, scheduling, and helping with chores at home.

• For all children, encourage them to verbalize their thoughts and feelings. Be a good listener!

STAY CONNECTED TO SCHOOL

• Locate learning resources. Schools’ capacity to conduct virtual learning experiences will vary greatly, but most schools are providing lessons and learning activities for children to do. Take advantage of the many companies and online platforms currently offering free learning opportunities.

• Identify additional resources. Know if your school or district is providing additional resources, such meals, or technology, such as a laptop or tablet.

• Stay in touch. Find out how the school is communicating with families and students. Be sure to read any communications you receive. Check with you children, particularly older ones, as they may be receiving information directly that would be helpful for you to know.

• Connect with school staff. Reach out to your child’s teacher and other relevant school staff if you have concerns about their coping and keeping up with assignments or activities.

KNOW THE SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19

• According to the CDC, symptoms of fever, cough, and/or shortness of breath appear within 14 days after being exposed to the disease.

• For some people, the symptoms are similar to having a cold; for others, they are more severe or even life threatening.

MODEL BASIC HYGIENE AND HEALTHY LIFESTYLE PRACTICES

• Practice daily good hygiene. Encourage your child to practice these simple steps to prevent spreading the virus.

• Wash your hands multiple times a day for 20 seconds. Signing “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” or “Happy Birthday” twice is about 20 seconds.

• Compliment your children when they use a Kleenex or sneeze or cough into the bend of their elbow. Teach them the importance of throwing away used tissues immediately after sneezing or coughing.

• Sadly, handshakes and hugs need to be limited to immediate family members, at least for now.

• Foster a sense of control. Offering guidance on what your child/children can do to prevent infection offers them a greater sense of control, which reduces anxiety.

• Build the immune system. Encourage your child to eat a balanced diet, get enough sleep, and exercise regularly; this will help them develop a robust immune system to fight off illness.

BE AWARE OF YOUR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH

Most children will manage well with the support of parents and other family members, even if showing signs of some anxiety or concerns, such as difficulty sleeping or concentrating. Some children, however, may have risk factors for more intense reactions, including severe anxiety, depression, and suicidal behaviors. Risk factors can include a pre-existing mental health problem, prior traumatic experiences or abuse, family instability, or the loss of a loved one. Parents and caregivers should contact a professional if children exhibit significant changes in behavior or any of the following symptoms for more than 2 weeks.

Preschoolers—thumb sucking, bedwetting, clinging to parents, sleep disturbances, loss of appetite, fear of the dark, regression in behavior, and withdrawal.

Elementary school children—irritability, aggressiveness, clinginess, nightmares, school avoidance, poor concentration, and withdrawal from activities and friends.

Adolescents—sleeping and eating disturbances, agitation, increase in conflicts, physical complaints, delinquent behavior, and poor concentration.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• Coping With Stress During Infectious Disease Outbreaks, https://store.samhsa.gov/product/Coping-with-Stress-During-Infectious-Disease-Outbreaks/sma14-4885

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/children.html

• Handwashing and Hand Sanitizer Use at Home, at Play, and Out and About, https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/pdf/hand-sanitizer-factsheet.pdf

• NASP COVID-19 Resource Center, https://www.nasponline.org/COVID-19

For more information related to schools and physical and mental health, visit www.nasponline.org and www.nasn.org.

Adapted from, Talking to Children About COVID-19 (Coronavirus): A Parent Resource, National Association of School Psychologists and National Association of School Nurses, NASP, 2020.

Contributor: School Psychologist Kathy Sievering

MENTAL HEALTH WELLNESS TIPS FOR QUARANTINE

1. Stick to a routine. Go to sleep and wake up at a reasonable time, write a schedule that is varied and includes time for work as well as self-care.

2. Dress for the social life you want, not the social life you have. Get showered and dressed in comfortable clothes, wash your face, brush your teeth. Take the time to do a bath or a facial. Put on some bright colors. It is amazing how our dress can impact our mood.

3. Get out at least once a day, for at least thirty minutes. If you are concerned of contact, try first thing in the morning, or later in the evening, and try less traveled streets and avenues. If you are high risk or living with those who are high risk, open the windows and blast the fan. It is amazing how much fresh air can do for spirits.

4. Find some time to move each day, again daily for at least thirty minutes. If you don’t feel comfortable going outside, there are many YouTube videos that offer free movement classes, and if all else fails, turn on the music and have a dance party!

5. Reach out to others, you guessed it, at least once daily for thirty minutes. Try to do FaceTime, Skype, phone calls, texting—connect with other people to seek and provide support. Don’t forget to do this for your children as well. Set up virtual playdates with friends daily via FaceTime, Facebook Messenger Kids, Zoom, etc—your kids miss their friends, too!

6. Stay hydrated and eat well. This one may seem obvious, but stress and eating often don’t mix well, and we find ourselves over-indulging, forgetting to eat, and avoiding food. Drink plenty of water, eat some good and nutritious foods, and challenge yourself to learn how to cook something new!

7. Develop a self-care toolkit. This can look different for everyone. A lot of successful self-care strategies involve a sensory component (seven senses: touch, taste, sight, hearing, smell, vestibular (movement) and proprioceptive (comforting pressure). An idea for each: a soft blanket or stuffed animal, a hot chocolate, photos of vacations, comforting music, lavender or eucalyptus oil, a small swing or rocking chair, a weighted blanket. A journal, an inspirational book, or a mandala coloring book is wonderful, bubbles to blow or blowing watercolor on paper through a straw are visually appealing as well as work on controlled breath. Mint gum, Listerine strips, ginger ale, frozen Starburst, ice packs, and cold are also good for anxiety regulation. For children, it is great to help them create a self-regulation comfort box (often a shoe-box or bin they can decorate) that they can use on the ready for first-aid when overwhelmed.

8. Spend extra time playing with children. Children will rarely communicate how they are feeling, but will often make a bid for attention and communication through play. Don’t be surprised to see therapeutic themes of illness, doctor visits, and isolation play through. Understand that play is cathartic and helpful for children—it is how they process their world and problem solve, and there’s a lot they are seeing and experiencing in the now.

9. Give everyone the benefit of the doubt, and a wide berth. A lot of cooped up time can bring out the worst in everyone. Each person will have moments when they will not be at their best. It is important to move with grace through blowups, to not show up to every argument you are invited to, and to not hold grudges and continue disagreements. Everyone is doing the best they can to make it through this.

10. Everyone find their own retreat space. Space is at a premium, particularly with city living. It is important that people think through their own separate space for work and for relaxation. For children, help them identify a place where they can go to retreat when stressed. You can make this place cozy by using blankets, pillows, cushions, scarves, beanbags, tents, and “forts”. It is good to know that even when we are on top of each other, we have our own special place to go to be alone.

11. Expect behavioral issues in children, and respond gently. We are all struggling with disruption in routine, none more than children, who rely on routines constructed by others to make them feel safe and to know what comes next. Expect increased anxiety, worries and fears, nightmares, difficulty separating or sleeping, testing limits, and meltdowns. Do not introduce major behavioral plans or consequences at this time—hold stable and focus on emotional connection.

12. Focus on safety and attachment. We are going to be living for a bit with the unprecedented demand of meeting all work deadlines, homeschooling children, running a sterile household, and making a whole lot of entertainment in confinement. We can get wrapped up in meeting expectations in all domains, but we must remember that these are scary and unpredictable times for children. Focus on strengthening the connection through time spent following their lead, through physical touch, through play, through therapeutic books, and via verbal reassurances that you will be there for them in this time.

13. Lower expectations and practice radical self-acceptance. This idea is connected with #12. We are doing too many things in this moment, under fear and stress. This does not make a formula for excellence. Instead, give yourself what psychologists call “radical self acceptance”: accepting everything about yourself, your current situation, and your life without question, blame, or pushback. You cannot fail at this—there is no roadmap, no precedent for this, and we are all truly doing the best we can in an impossible situation.

14. Limit social media and COVID conversation, especially around children. One can find tons of information on COVID-19 to consume, and it changes minute to minute. The information is often sensationalized, negatively skewed, and alarmist. Find a few trusted sources that you can check in with consistently, limit it to a few times a day, and set a time limit for yourself on how much you consume (again 30 minutes tops, 2-3 times daily). Keep news and alarming conversations out of earshot from children—they see and hear everything, and can become very frightened by what they hear.

15. Notice the good in the world, the helpers. There is a lot of scary, negative, and overwhelming information to take in regarding this pandemic. There are also a ton of stories of people sacrificing, donating, and supporting one another in miraculous ways. It is important to counter-balance the heavy information with the hopeful information.

16. Help others. Find ways, big and small, to give back to others. Support restaurants, offer to grocery shop, check in with elderly neighbors, write psychological wellness tips for others—helping others gives us a sense of agency when things seem out of control.

17. Find something you can control, and control the heck out of it. In moments of big uncertainty and overwhelm, control your little corner of the world. Organize your bookshelf, purge your closet, put together that furniture, group your toys. It helps to anchor and ground us when the bigger things are chaotic.

18. Find a long-term project to dive into. Now is the time to learn how to play the keyboard, put together a huge jigsaw puzzle, start a 15 hour game of Risk, paint a picture, read the Harry Potter series, binge watch an 8-season show, crochet a blanket, solve a Rubix cube, or develop a new town in Animal Crossing. Find something that will keep you busy, distracted, and engaged to take breaks from what is going on in the outside world.

19. Engage in repetitive movements and left-right movements. Research has shown that repetitive movement (knitting, coloring, painting, clay sculpting, jump roping etc) especially left-right movement (running, drumming, skating, hopping) can be effective at self-soothing and maintaining self-regulation in moments of distress.

20. Find an expressive art and go for it. Our emotional brain is very receptive to the creative arts, and it is a direct portal for release of feeling. Find something that is creative (sculpting, drawing, dancing, music, singing, playing) and give it your all. See how relieved you can feel. It is a very effective way of helping kids to emote and communicate as well!

21. Find lightness and humor in each day. There is a lot to be worried about, and with good reason. Counterbalance this heaviness with something funny each day: cat videos on YouTube, a stand-up show on Netflix, a funny movie—we all need a little comedic relief in our day, every day.

22. Reach out for help—your team is there for you. If you have a therapist or psychiatrist, they are available to you, even at a distance. Keep up your medications and your therapy sessions the best you can. If you are having difficulty coping, seek out help for the first time. There are mental health people on the ready to help you through this crisis. Your children’s teachers and related service providers will do anything within their power to help, especially for those parents tasked with the difficult task of being a whole treatment team to their child with special challenges. Seek support groups of fellow home-schoolers, parents, and neighbors to feel connected. There is help and support out there, any time of the day—although we are physically distant, we can always connect virtually.

23. “Chunk” your quarantine, take it moment by moment. We have no road map for this. We don’t know what this will look like in 1 day, 1 week, or 1 month from now. Often, when I work with patients who have anxiety around overwhelming issues, I suggest that they engage in a strategy called “chunking”—focusing on whatever bite-sized piece of a challenge that feels manageable. Whether that be 5 minutes, a day, or a week at a time—find what feels doable for you, and set a time stamp for how far ahead in the future you will let yourself worry. Take each chunk one at a time, and move through stress in pieces.

24. Remind yourself daily that this is temporary. It seems in the midst of this quarantine that it will never end. It is terrifying to think of the road stretching ahead of us. Please take time to remind yourself that although this is very scary and difficult, and will go on for an undetermined amount of time, it is a season of life and it will pass. We will return to feeing free, safe, busy, and connected in the days ahead.

25. Find the lesson. This whole crisis can seem sad, senseless, and at times, avoidable. When psychologists work with trauma, a key feature to helping someone work through said trauma is to help them find their agency, the potential positive outcomes they can effect, the meaning and construction that can come out of destruction. What can each of us learn here, in big and small ways, from this crisis? What needs to change in ourselves, our homes, our communities, our nation, and our world?

• Employment Development Department (EDD)

• Relief Funds For Undocumented Workers in California (Legal Aid at Work) * for some, the person does not have to be undocumented to apply but this list was created with the intention of having as many funds undocumented people qualify for *

• COVID-19 Resources for Undocumented Californians

• COVID19 Resources for Indigenous Peoples

• Worker Assistance Initiative/The United Way Foundation: This organization launched the San Diego Worker Assistance Initiative as part of the greater San Diego COVID-19 Community Response Fund. The fund is providing flexible resources to people impacted by layoffs and reduced working hours implemented by employers. For more information call 858-492-2000. Click here for the application in English.

• SDIRC Immigrant Relief Fund: Must live in San Diego County and have experienced a loss of income due to reduced hours, temporarily not working, or loss of job because of the pandemic.

• City of San Diego COVID-19 Temporary Ban on Evictions

• Frequently asked questions about the eviction ban due to Covid-19 (English)

• Sample letter to mail/email landlords (English)

• Food Service Sites providing meals during school closure

• Emergency Food Assistance Program Sites (Week of April 6 to April 11): distributes emergency food packages at 80 different locations across San Diego County every month. The majority of the food distributed at these sites includes nonperishable and shelf-stable food items. For more information click here.

• Neighborhood Food Distribution Program (Week of April 6 - Saturday, April 11): distributes fresh produce and nonperishable food items at 19 distribution sites every month throughout San Diego County. The majority of the food distributed at these sites is fresh produce. For more information click here.

• Senior Food Program: provides a monthly 35-pound box of food and a 2-pound block of cheese to senior citizens aged 60 and over who meet income guidelines. For more information click here.

SBCS: Free Food for Families in the South Bay. For more information click here.

• Internet Resources - English

• Cox Cable Flyer - English

• Spectrum Flyer - English

Face COVID : A workbook based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)

Care for Your Coronavirus Anxiety : An online toolkit designed to reduce anxiousness