2020 has been quite a year for parents. As if coping with work, childcare, Covid-19, and wildfires weren’t enough, now we are monitoring and supporting our kids through online schooling. All the youth librarians at Happy Valley Library are working parents, so we feel you! We don’t have all the answers, but our instinct is to seek out trustworthy experts for guidance. Here we share some resources for information about issues confronting parents during the pandemic. You’ll find videos, webinars, podcasts, and more. Perhaps you’ll find something that helps you to make a difficult decision, or to cope with your own or your child’s stress. Let us know how we can support you and your family — even though the building is closed, we are here for you!
Common Sense Media
Guidance on all things Media & Tech
We’re all navigating the world via technology these days, including our youngest children. Common Sense Media is an independent nonprofit organization that studies the impacts of technology on children, and provides guidance to parents and educators. Their website is a wealth of information — take some time to explore the For Parents section, or peruse the Distance Learning Covid Support blog posts. You’ll find articles, webinars, book, movie & video game reviews, online school resources, and more!
Embrace Race: Supporting Kids in the Struggle Around Covid-19
Anti-Racist Support
Embrace Race is a multiracial community of parents, teachers, and experts who provide resources to meet the challenges that race poses to our children, families, and communities. Their Covid-19 Support page offers articles and videos to help support BIPOC families and children, as well as tools to help everyone understand the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) communities, such as this article, Covid Resources that take Race Seriously and this video, Asian Americans, racism and anti-racism in the Covid-19 Era.
Healthy at Home: A Toolkit for Families
Early Childhood Focus
Ready Rosie has created a Toolkit for Supporting Families during Covid-19. Divided into three sections, Learning at Home, Prevention & Care, Emotional Well-being, you’ll find activity ideas, and short videos on topics such as: Is it okay to use screen time if I am sick or need to work? and How do I keep a healthy perspective and lower my own stress? With a focus on early childhood, Ready Rosie provides support for families to create meaningful home learning environments. Their content advisors are experts in early childhood education and social emotional learning.
Pandemic Parenting
Parenting & Mental Health
Pandemic Parenting was created by two psychologist/scholar/moms to provide a platform for science-based knowledge and resources for those caring for children in the midst of the pandemic. They host a bi-weekly parenting exchange on Zoom, a blog, and free webinars for parents on topics such as grief, guilt, and school decisions. You’ll find guidance for decisions parents are making now, as well as support for coping with pandemic-related stress. Check out their recorded webinars, or their next free live webinar, Anti-racist Pandemic Parenting on October 29, 2020.
Podcast: Life Kit Parenting
All things parenting considered
Sometimes I just need to hear someone chat about stuff while I’m doing some mindless task at home. This NPR podcast that bills itself as providing “tools to help you get it together” fits the bill. School, screens, boredom, grief, racism are just some of the recent topics.
Podcast: Mind/Shift
Education and innovation explored
Many parents have added monitoring their child’s online education to their docket this fall. We’re all trying to figure out how to best help our children learn and thrive while they are unable to attend school in person. For those of you who want to delve into the research around education and child development, Mind/Shift is a great listen. Episodes examine the role of technology, discoveries about the brain, racial and gender bias in education, social and emotional learning, mental health and many other issues that affect children. Produced by KQED.