Not What I Expected: Help and Hope for Parents of Atypical Children by Dr. Rita Eichenstein:
Not What I Expected is “designed to help parents of atypical children understand what they are feeling and learn how to manage their emotions. It serves as both an inspiring guide and a practical parenting toolbox as Dr. Eichenstein gently walks parents step by step through the inner and outer challenges of their ‘atypical’ parenting journey.”
What To Do When You Worry Too Much by Dr. Dawn Heubner:
This is an interactive book intended for 6–12-year-olds to help guide them (and their parents) through cognitive-behavioral techniques used to treat anxiety. By incorporating humor, metaphor, and illustrations, the book is easy to understand and empowering for children.
Grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), this book provides tools to help you parent with compassion and help your child work through anxiety, fears, and worries.
Mindfulness for Kids Who Worry by Kate Austin
Aimed at ages 6–9, but with tools that can be useful at any age, this book is full of beautiful illustrations and mindfulness exercises for children.
A Boy and a Bear: The Children's Relaxation Book, by Lori Lite
With a little imagination, kids can help calm their worries. This story shows them just how to do that. For children aged 3–10.
David and the Worry Beast: Helping Children Cope with Anxiety, by Anne Marie Guanci
Learn how to conquer fears in this story about David, a little boy who worries a lot. For children aged 4–9.
Helping Your Anxious Child, by Ronald Rapee, Ann Wignall, Susan Spence, Heidi Lyneham and Vanessa Cobham
A guide that teaches parents cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques to help their children overcome anxiety, fears, and worries.
Mindfulness For Kids Who Worry, by Katie Austin
Aimed at ages 6–9, but with tools that can be useful at any age, this book is full of beautiful illustrations and mindfulness exercises for children.
Wemberly Worried, by Kevin Henkes
A little mouse worries about everything from spilling to shrinking while taking a bath. Things start to look up when she finds a friend who worries just as much as she does. For children aged 4–8.
What To Do When You Worry Too Much, by Dr. Dawn Heubner
By psychologist Dawn Huebner, this book is intended for children aged 6–12 to read with their parents; it uses metaphors and humorous illustrations to teach techniques used in cognitive-behavioral therapy to treat generalized anxiety.
Worry, Worry, Go Away! A Kid's Book about Worry and Anxiety, by Christine Adams
This book uses elves to help kids learn how to beat anxious feelings. For preschoolers through 3rd grade.
Cool Mom Picks: Interview with Dr. Ken Ginsburg, pediatrician and adolescent expert
This podcast has helpful advice on how to talk to our kids with compassion, and the accompanying website has a lot of helpful links.
Psychology Today: Parenting with Resilience in Unsettling Times
Dr. Dan Peters discusses how parents can be resilient so they are able to problem-solve.
Kveller, “Schedules Are Everything for My Autistic Son. Here’s How We’re Coping Now,” 3.20.20
A parent discusses her autistic son's need to plan far in advance, and how she’s able to maintain compassion during a time when there is no ability to plan ahead.
KQED, “Exercise Tips To Help Kids, Teens and Families Stay Balanced at Home,” 3.18.20
This article contains fun and helpful links for at-home exercise routines for every member of the family.
Do Yoga With Me: Online guided yoga instruction offering two months of classes for free.
CorePower Yoga: CorePower’s online library of classes is publicly available, and they have plenty of workouts on YouTube too.
Anxiety Reducing Music: Six hours of free music created to reduce anxiety from NPR.
Super Stretch Yoga: This app teaches kids twelve different animal-inspired yoga poses via an animated superhero named Super Stretch. Kids can watch videos of children doing each pose and an explanation of how to do it; they can also choose a particular pose or do them in order. Reminders to breathe are given throughout.
Calm contains hundreds of excellent guided meditations in varying lengths, with an entire section devoted to children. The app also offers music and bedtime stories.
Like Calm, Headspace contains guided meditations and music in varying lengths for the whole family. The kids’ section features five themes: Calm, Focus, Kindness, Sleep, and Wake Up.
This app contains 32,000 free guided meditations, and their section for kids includes topics on finding peace, falling asleep, “overcoming monkey mind,” and calming anxiety.
Breathe, Think, Do with Sesame
This app is intended for young children to help them learn self-control, problem-solving, and task persistence. To help an upset Sesame Street monster learn to calm down, children practice different techniques such as breathing exercises, popping bubbles, and making a plan.
This app contains six beautifully designed “games” that help promote relaxation and calm: “Grow a garden and spot a hummingbird. Visit a cherry-blossom snow-globe. Guide a butterfly to sip blossom nectar and reach a rainbow. Make music. And yes, catch a falling star!”
This app introduces children to mindfulness through a series of voice-guided stories with the help of a playful monster named Flibbertigibbet. Flibbertigibbet is agitated and needs help calming down; by soothing him, the child is led to learn techniques to help them gain inner calm.
This app teaches kids 12 different animal-inspired yoga poses via an animated superhero named Super Stretch. Kids can watch videos of children doing each pose and an explanation of how to do it; they can also choose a particular pose or do them in order. Reminders to breathe are given throughout. Free.
Do Yoga With Me contains hundreds of online guided yoga classes; they are currently offering 2 months of classes for free. Info on their coronavirus offer here.
GoZen offers a program designed to help kids overcome anxiety using proven psychological research and therapeutic techniques. Their website explains it this way: “The program is broken down into six modules that teach your child how to understand, control, and manage their anxiety. The concepts are delivered over with animations featuring fun, relatable characters in real-life situations.” (Insider tip: you can find many of their helpful videos for free on YouTube.)
Isle Of Calm: Stream 6 Hours Of Soothing Music
Six hours of free music created in March to reduce anxiety, curated by NPR.
Monterey Bay Aquarium, The Zen of Moon Jellies
Calm yourself with the relaxing live video of jellyfish from the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Save your favorite resources and access a custom Roadmap.
Get Started
