#coronavirus

Deepak Chopra: on how to not be overwhelmed by fear and anxiety

Fear, unease and anxiety around the current COVID-19 pandemic remains constant, and can cause strong emotions in adults and children. Coping with stress will make you, the people you care about, and your community stronger.

When parents have strategies to stay calm, kids can stay calm… and Dr. Deepak Chopra has lots to say on this topic.

Families are interrelated systems and kids take cues from how parents position information, their tone of voice, their sense of urgency… and their overall optimism. Even in the presence of great challenge.

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Dr. Deepak Chopra talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how to cope with the global threat posed by coronavirus, the parallel "pandemic of panic," and how to not be overwhelmed by fear and anxiety. Comparing it to past pandemics and wars, he says the COVID-19 outbreak is an invitation to stop denying our shared humanity and finally recognize our power to use our creativity to save ourselves.

Listen to this insightful and calming podcast here…

Friday Kid's Mindfulness Challenge - Meet Your Inner Ninja!

Friday Kid's Mindfulness Challenge - Meet Your Inner Ninja!

As we hunker down with our kids during this unusually long time period - where close quarters, loss, change and the stress of the unknown remain constants - why not give them some new, easy ways to self-regulate? Enter Level 1 Ninja Training! Designed especially for 6-10 year olds. This easy, 5 minute audio journey helps build: anxiety relief, inner calm, focus, and self-control.

Pandemic Help For Families - Kidevolve's Creative Mind Journeys launch on YouTube

Pandemic Help For Families - Kidevolve's Creative Mind Journeys launch on YouTube

Welcome to Kidevolve’s Imaginarium and the awesome world of Creative Mind Journeys. We’re thrilled to announce that our soothing, zesty, zany, inspiring (re: NOT BORING) audio stories are finally LIVE on YouTube! Kids who’ve come to know and cherish our stories in audio format, can now see the characters they love come alive in epic settings that enhance the overall experience. We have a huge selection of free mindfulness training videos for kids, with more coming all the time. Check out brand new learning playlists like: Self-Control, Sleep Zone, Gratitude and Anxiety Helper…

The Great Realisation (Tomfoolery)

The Great Realisation (Tomfoolery)

This moving video uses positive, calming, forward-thinking framing, to tackle the topic of the pandemic with kids. As parents and educators struggle to cope with messaging around the pandemic - in an effort to be honest (but not add to increasing feelings of anxiety and stress) - this uber-creative narrative provides much-needed optimism, engaging children fully at all ages (and giving adults a hopeful pause as well). Hats off to Tomfoolery… they’ve offered a thoughtful meditation our kids can spin into a positive future for themselves, despite the changes, hardships and challenges we’re all collectively facing.

As Adults Learn to Cope, Kids are Watching, Modelling, Mirroring

As Adults Learn to Cope, Kids are Watching, Modelling, Mirroring

During this unprecedented global pandemic, kids of all ages are suddenly living in closer quarters with family (and for the first time, there are less external programs, activities and fewer ‘alternate adults’ to model how to cope with life’s challenges). Kids are now observing the adults in their lives more regularly (and with more granularity!) … and taking direct cues around self-management. Things can feel overwhelming with so much uncertainty, and kids pick up on anxiety and stress, and often come to mirror it quickly. This can create an unhealthy cycle within the family unit, where stress can actually become contagious. As adults struggle to keep emotions regulated and not flip out, here are 5 videos offering simple strategies for keeping things more calm, open, proactive and healthy. Parents and kids can watch them together and talk about how to make things feel less stressful at home, while we’re thrust into our new, unusual circumstances - try these out today!

Rethinking your child’s relationship with screens during the pandemic (National Geographic)

Rethinking your child’s relationship with screens during the pandemic (National Geographic)

As COVID-19 continues to upend family routines across the globe, it’s also intensifying our relationship with media in unprecedented ways. But to all the parents wracked with worry about letting their kids watch TV while cooped up at home, experts say: Relax…

Talking to Kids About the Coronavirus (Child Mind Institute)

Talking to Kids About the Coronavirus (Child Mind Institute)

COVID-19 has changed our lives in ways we never would have imagined. Kids, at this unique time, may be feeling extra worried (especially if they already have an anxiety disorder). Fortunately, there are things we can do to help our kids cope - including providing creative outlets to express how they’re feeling in an open way. Check out Kidevolve’s silly and enticing IMAGINARY FRIEND DRAWING EXERCISE (Course 7.3: Joy & Energy) which gives kids a super fun outlet to draw their inner monsters and let their imaginations run wild to a whacky array of musical cues in a game-like setting. Get your coloured pencils, markers and papers ready! You might even think about doing this exercise with your kids and then discussing everyone’s monsters afterwards… when you're finished, you might just have a new friend (who's been waiting for you all this time!).

Astronauts know how to handle isolation: Tips from NASA astronauts (Space.com)

Astronauts know how to handle isolation: Tips from NASA astronauts (Space.com)

NASA astronauts know a thing or two about isolation, and kids will benefit from understanding how much time, thought and preparation goes into this activity alone. From preparing in advance for new pressures on interpersonal relationships and working to strengthen communication and awareness (especially when school and programs are postponed, placing parents, caregivers and kids in MUCH more regular contact), to the power of staying positive in our newly confined environments (TIP - focus on others and help kids think about a way to have "a higher purpose"), devising robust mental strategies in advance can help lessen anxiety and stress while bolstering self-regulation at every age.

How to Cope at Home With Kids During the Coronavirus Outbreak (Consumer Reports)

How to Cope at Home With Kids During the Coronavirus Outbreak (Consumer Reports)

In Facebook groups, text chains, and blogs, moms and dads are debating whether kids should have play dates or visit grandparents, have a babysitter, engage in street play, go to the playground. We are collectively wondering about what to do if someone in the house gets a fever, the best ways to minimize germ transmission, and how we’re all supposed to stay safe and sane. At a baseline, we must not forget to address our children’s mental health (and our own) when dealing with the onslaught of media and news that keeps us informed (while also scaring the pants off us).