Mental Health

The worry and fear that we are all feeling during these uncertain times are normal reactions. Engaging with your child(ren) about how they are feeling and finding ways to connect with your family members can help your household cope more easily.

The School Mental Health Team is committed to supporting the mental and emotional health of you and your family. We understand that you and your student may have increased needs during distance learning. We have collected several helpful resources including some fantastic articles, tip sheets and other resources from local and national partners and have shared them below.

Right click to be linked to the identified resource. If you have any questions or concerns during this distance learning period and beyond, please do not hesitate to reach out to The School Mental Health Team for additional support at school.mentalhealth@k12.dc.gov.

Talking to your children about COVID-19

Coronavirus: Keeping Our Children and Ourselves Safe, With Pamela Cantor, M.D.

The 180 podcast host, Chris Riback, talks with Turnaround for Children’s Founder and Senior Science Advisor Pamela Cantor, M.D. about managing fear, stress, and disruption brought about by COVID-19.

NASP: Talking to children about COVID-19

The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) shares tips with parents to help them effectively talk with their children about COVID-19.

CDC: Talking to young children about coronavirus

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention released guidance on how parents, guardians, school faculty, and other adults can discuss COVID-19 facts and implications with children.

Fred Rogers Center: Talking to Young Children about the Coronavirus

Fred Rogers Center provides tips on several topics such as caring for yourself and children, learning with children through play, the necessities of learning, and more

PBS: How to Talk to Your Kids About Coronavirus (with PBS Kids Videos and shows that discuss handwashing)PBS for Parents offers advice, founded on emotions and self-awareness, to parents on how to talk their children about COVID-19.

Parent Guide and Resources

Prevent Child Abuse: America offers resources and tips for parents, children, and other adults on how to stay connected, active, and engaged as a family and community.

Managing emotions and behaviors

Autism Speaks: COVID-19 Information and Resources for students with Autism

Autism Speaks provides a comprehensive list of resources that meet the special needs of the autism community.

Managing Stress and Anxiety When Navigating a Health Crisis (CDC)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides guidance on how to handle stress and anxiety that is brought about by the COVID-19.

Child Mind: Coping during COVID-19 and additional resources

Child Mind Institute provides a list of clinical and supportive resources for parents to manage their emotions and their children’s.

How to Keep the Greater Good in Mind During the Coronavirus Outbreak

Greater Good Magazine’s book review editor Jill Suttie published an article on how to navigate the implications of COVID-19 in our homes and communities

Supporting your Children’s Social, Emotional, and Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Confident Parents Confident Kids’ guest author Pamela McVeagh-Lally offers advice on how to support your child’s social, emotional and mental health.

Emotions Chart

A chart that identifies the varying emotions that might be brought about in children by COVID-19 pandemic

Activities to Teach Children Impulse Control

A comprehensive document that details activities that contribute to impulse control for children.

Link to Coronavirus Social Story for Kids

Little Puddins created a free Coronavirus social narrative that will help mitigate fear, stress, and anxiety in children.

Anger Rating Chart

A chart that identifies the varying emotions that might be brought about in children by COVID-19 pandemic

How to Help a Child Struggling with Anxiety

This link from NPR covers how to identify and help children manage anxiety. It also includes a cookie monster video.

Social Emotional Learning

Aperture Education provides multiple Social Emotional Learning resources that parent can utilize at home.

PBS Kids Learn and Grow: Age by Age Tips & Activities for Social-Emotional Learning, Literacy, Arts and More

PBS for Parents offers literacy advice to parents on how to talk their children about COVID-19 and promote learning at home.

Breathe for Change: Student & Family Well-Being

Breathe for Change provides a range of resources on self-care for students.

PureEdge Curriculum

PureEdge’s offering of easily accessible, free, SEL resources and curricula.

Turnaround for Children: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Resources

Turnaround for Children’s curated list of resources for parents, caregivers or other adults on supporting children.

Establishing a Daily Routine

Morning Routine Tip Sheet

Tips for Living Life To its Fullest created a tip sheet for establishing morning routines for children.

Bedtime Routine Tip Sheet

Tips for Living Life To its Fullest created a tip sheet in Spanish for establishing bedtime routines for children.

Estableciendo de Rutinas para Niños a la Hora de Dormir

Tips for Living Life To its Fullest created a tip sheet for establishing bedtime routines for children.

Mealtime Routines for Children Tip Sheet

Tips for Living Life To its Fullest created a tip sheet in Spanish for establishing mealtime routines for children.

Bathtime Routine Tip Sheet

Tips for Living Life To its Fullest created a tip sheet for establishing bath time routines for children.

Estableciendo Rutinas para Niños a la Hora del Baño

Tips for Living Life To its Fullest created a tip sheet in Spanish for establishing bath time routines for children.

Toileting Routines for Children Tip Sheet

Tips for Living Life To its Fullest created a tip sheet for establishing toileting routines for children.

Estableciendo Rutinas para que los Niños y Niñas Vayan al Baño

Tips for Living Life To its Fullest created a tip sheet in Spanish for establishing toileting routines for children.

Activities, play and discovery

Yoga Ed Youtube Channel: Yoga for Children

Yoga Ed Is a YouTube channel that teaches various beginner and intermediate yoga classes for children, teens, and adults, such as trauma-sensitive yoga and self- care yoga.

OMTastic Yoga: Free Yoga Resources for Children and Families

OMTastic Yoga teaches a variety of therapeutic yoga classes for children, teens, and adult such a Yoga for mindfulness, stress, focus, and pain management.

Friend2Friend

Kognito provides Friend2Friend which is a game-based simulation that promotes self-awareness and knowledge on mental health for adolescents.

Khan Academy Student Schedule

Khan Academy created detailed student schedules for all grades that will assist home learning.

Mind Yeti

Mind Yeti provides research-based guided mindfulness sessions for children and adults.

Online Learning

The Exploratorium offers learning tools for Science and Art.

SEL Virtual Learning at Home

SEL Virtual Learning at Home provides Social Emotional Learning activities for all grades to complete at home.

Learning is Social, Emotional and Academic

Lorea Martine published a detailed article on Social Emotional Learning ideas for home learning.

PlayWorks Online Game Library

PlayWorks Game Library provides a variety of games for different group sizes, ages, and developmental skills.

GoNoodle Library: Movement and mindfulness videos

GoNoodle Library provides monthly videos that focuses on movement and mindfulness.

Imagination Tree Blog: Resources and Activities for Fun at Home

Imagination provides planning, play and learning ides for families and their children at home.

Scholastic Learn at Home: Day to Day Projects to Keep Kids Growing

Scholastic provides day to day resources for children to reinforce reading, thinking, and growing at home.

Science with a Side of Awesome: Crash Course Kids YouTube

Crash Course Kids provides video lessons focused on Science for children.

NatGeo Kids National Geographic

National Geographic Kids provides different activities to keep children engaged and active.

Time Activities for Kids at Home During School Closures

Time Magazine’s Susie Allison published an article detailing activities for children and families dealing with school closures.

Mindful Schools Free Online Mindfulness Classes for Kids

Mindful Schools offers mindfulness classes for children that includes movement and learning at home.

Study with Kahoot

Kahoot provides myriad of learning tools and collections for all ages to play and learn at home.

Free Classroom Activities

Committee Children offers free classroom activities that provide social-emotional learning skills to children and adults.

Free Social Emotional Learning Activities

Centervention provides free social-emotional learning activities that includes lessons and printables for children.

Social-Emotional Learning Games

Understood provides 5 social-emotional learning games to play with children to reinforce social skills.

Click Here for References of Materials Linked Above

Mental Health & Community Resources for LGBTQ+ Students

Q Chat Space - A Community for LGBT Teens

SMYAL - Virtual Programming

The Trevor Project - Get Help Now

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