INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP OF TEXAS

Mental health experts provide videos and educational resources to help families talk about COVID-19 and staying safe during the outbreak. 

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The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) - a national mental health advocacy organization, offers a variety of services for people with mental illness. This link to the NAMI web page has information about its online support group, suicide prevention hotline, training and other treatment resources.

 

Mental Health America - Mental Health and COVID-19 Information and Resources​

 

Vanderbilt Education

• Review a parental guide on how to teach your children about expressing emotions. This highly researched and comprehensive article helps parents on how to tangibly show children how to identify, understand, and categorize their feelings and emotions, including steps, practice techniques, and solutions.

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Anxiety and Stress Resources for Kids

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• Worry Wise Kids - Providing parents, educators, and mental health professionals with comprehensive, user-friendly information on the full range of anxiety disorders, along with the tools on how to identify symptoms, find effective treatments, and preventative measures to avoid letting anxiety take hold in a child's life.

• CopingSkillsForKids.com - A therapist’s look into different ways to address anxiety and anxious moments with the use of effective coping skills, from breathing exercises to creating calming jars. Written alongside intuitive diagrams and images, these skills are designed comprehensively and intuitively.

• AnxietyBC - This website is a leader in developing online, self-help, and evidence-based resources on anxiety and anxiety disorders. It shares helpful information on understanding anxiety, as well as resources and tools to help manage anxiety in your children. Videos, healthy tips, and a robust FAQ section are provided.

• PsychCentral - Here are three activities by PsychCentral that guides parents and professionals in techniques they can use to help children with managing their anxiety. The techniques and games include blowing bubbles, “worry can,” and “calm-down box.”

• Anxiety.org - Apps for Anxious Children  - A list comprised by the non-profit organization Anxiety.org meant on the downloadable applications parents can employ on tablets or cellphones for children dealing with anxiety. The list also details the description, cost and concepts for each game application.

 

Helping younger students understand the reason school is closed and why they have to stay home, wash their hands and keep their distance to stay safe from the Coronavirus can be a challenge. A video, titled “The Yucky Bug” by Julia Cook is a short video that explains the coronavirus from a child’s point of view.

 

Parents looking for help to explain COVID-19 to students fourth grade and up can get tips from this YouTube video featuring a University of Chicago doctor talking about prevention, social distancing and how to prevent spreading the virus.

 

A Brainpop animation explains the dangers of the Coronavirus, how viruses spread, social distancing and handwashing and how children can get good information and avoid anxiety.

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Vanderbilt Education

• Review a parental guide on how to teach your children about expressing emotions. This highly researched and comprehensive article helps parents on how to tangibly show children how to identify, understand, and categorize their feelings and emotions, including steps, practice techniques, and solutions.

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Moments a day

• MomentsADay.com features 100 activities that can be done with children to practice character skill building. Exercises include how to build responsibility in children, developing friendships and exploring kindness.