At a time like this, your children could use some extra love and a story-time cuddle. --
The coronavirus pandemic has upended all of our lives, and much has changed in a very short time. With
workplaces, schools, and childcare centers closed, work-life balance has taken
on new meaning. And if a pandemic were not enough, the video of
a Minneapolis police officer’s knee on George Floyd’s neck has mobilized
thousands across this country and around the world to say enough-is-enough to
racism and police brutality. Stress
levels are running high and parents are finding themselves exhausted,
overwhelmed, and anxious.
Our children rely on us to keep them safe and their world
predictable. We may try to shield them from
our own anxieties, but even the very young are perceptive to our moods. And of course, their world looks very
different, too. They are missing friends
and the special adults in their lives, like grandparents and outside caregivers.
The loss of familiar routines is
particularly challenging. Now more than
ever, parents need to counter these feelings with extra love and support. It is never too early to start the
conversations around difficult emotions that will continue throughout the
years.
Story time is bonding time
From infancy on, it’s important to establish a safe haven for your
child to return to again and again. This
is a special time and place to feel secure in your love and comforted in your
presence. Cuddling with a book creates the perfect foundation for this type of
intimacy and communication. Your eventual teenager will come to you with the
“big stuff” if they’ve been talking with you and feeling heard all along.
Whatever the age and stage of your child, chances are there’s a
book out there to help make sense of what they may be experiencing or feeling.
Identifying with characters in similar situations lets them know that it’s okay
to feel what they feel and gives them age-appropriate ways to cope. Talking about your own experiences and asking
questions sets up the type of honest and open dialogue that will become ever more
important as messages from the outside world get louder. Read on for more tips and well-suited books
from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and BEGIN WITH BOOKS to get the
conversation started.
·
Help children acknowledge and label their emotions
During the early years, children are building up what psychologists
call emotional intelligence, and are learning to express a wider and more
varied range of emotions. It is
important that you help them recognize their emotional states and develop the
language to talk about them. A perennial
Imagination Library favorite, Dolly Parton’s I Am a Rainbow
is a sweet little book for toddlers to begin talking about their feelings.
In it, Dolly teaches them to connect their moods with colors of the rainbow so
they can better express the emotions they are feeling: for example, blue when
feeling sad, red when feeling mad, yellow when feeling scared. Her message is that we all have moods and
that’s okay, but it’s what we do with our moods that matters.
·
Listen to your children before offering solutions
Just as you are feeling the unease of a world that no longer looks
the same, so too are your little ones.
Seeing strangers in masks and not being able to see friends or approach loved
ones are unsettling situations for your children. How do they begin to
process this confusion? The Rabbit
Listened by Cori Doerrfeld, an April 2020 Imagination Library book
selection, encourages preschoolers to explore strategies to manage
turbulent feelings when things go wrong. Different creatures offer Taylor well-meaning
advice when the castle he has built, and is so proud of, comes crashing down.
Rabbit takes a more passive approach by just listening, staying by his side,
and giving him time to come to terms with how he is feeling. The gentle illustrations and repetitive text
evoke a sense of calm, and -- let’s face it -- rabbits are just naturally quiet
and peaceful animals.
·
Reassure them that we all feel scared at times - and that’s okay!
·
Find pleasure in simple things
Thank You, World, by Alice
B. McGinty and Wendy Anderson Halperin (illustrator), is an inspiring
book for older preschoolers, reminding them that even though they may be missing
out on things they enjoy, like circle time or being with their friends on the
playground, there’s still lots of joy to be found. The book follows eight children
from eight different continents as they go about their day and experience the
same moments of happiness. The rhymed
narrative celebrates simple things such as trees, clouds, or mothers – “Thank
you, Mommy, for tucking in my tiptoes and kissing me good night.” At a time like this, it’s comforting to
know that we’re all in this together, that the world isn’t as large as it seems,
and that life’s greatest pleasures are often the simple ones.
·
Instill a sense of shared community and civic responsibility
Just by staying home, you and your children are slowing the spread
of the virus and keeping your community and loved ones safe. This simple act demonstrates good citizenship.
It is an empowering message and an
example of how simple actions can add up to great impact. That is the message behind Annette
LeBox’s Peace is an Offering (illustrated by Stephanie Graegin and
distributed by Dolly Parton's Imagination Lirary in a bilingual English/Spanish edition). This favorite
portrays children being peacemakers in their everyday lives through simple,
ordinary acts of giving, sharing, and understanding. It is these seemingly small, everyday actions
that result in stronger, more peaceful communities.
-- Caron Bell, PhD, Early Childhood Development, and beginwithbooks.org volunteer
Comments
Post a Comment