The onset of COVID-19 has turned life upside down for many families with young children and for the teachers, caregivers and programs who serve them. With the majority of childcare and preschool programs closed or on alternative schedules, many families find themselves in need of emergency childcare (resources here) or stuck at home balancing work with caring for their young children (resources here). This in and of itself presents a unique challenge, but when you add in the stress of a global pandemic requiring social-distancing, sheltering in place, and quarantines, as well as concerns about job security and economic hardship…it is a LOT to ask! (if you're feeling high stress, anxiety or depression - please call 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746 to speak with a trained counselor)

This is a curated space for resources, tools, and guidance that can help everyone trying to support young children during this trying time. We invite you to explore what we have to offer, and if there’s something you’d like to see that isn’t here, we’d love to hear from you - email us at team@promisestudio.org.

There is no "right way" to get through this.-

Every family is unique—which means there’s no one way that you should be providing support to your young children during this time. Doing what works for your family and their needs is truly what’s most important. To help you do that, we’ve compiled some guidance on creating simple play plans for you to use with children from infancy through preschool, should you want to provide some daily learning opportunities for your young children. We’ve also pulled together some suggestions for creating routines in the day when all the adults in the household have to work from home. For those who are still needing to leave the house for work, we have child care resources including this guide to finding emergency care. Here are some resources to help get you started:

• Creating routines and rituals (blog post)
• Making a routines chart with young children (video - 1m)
• Creating a daily schedule (blog post)
• Making a play plan (video - 3m)

Find more activities for kids in our database below.

Guiding learning & development is different with young children+

The early childhood years are a time of extraordinary development and learning, but that doesn’t mean that you have to replicate your child’s classroom environment or become Mary Poppins overnight to do right by your children. By keeping in mind some basic principles of child development and child guidance, you can use regular routines and everyday experiences to help your child learn.

Here are a few short videos highlighting key parts of child development that may help you navigate this new situation:

• The role of temperament in your child’s behavior and needs (video - 4m)
• How play is learning for young children (video - 3m)
• The value of simple “serve-and-return” interactions (video - 6m)
• Keep in mind there’s an emotion behind every action (video - 1m)

Living, working, learning, playing, caregiving, and teaching all under the same roof all day is going to present challenges for every family. There is no way around it--this is a stressful time. We’ve designed a blog and video series with strategies, tips and ideas to use to guide your children’s behavior and create a more peaceful home environment. Here are some quick links to get your started:

• Regulating big feelings (shape breathing - 1m | blowing up the balloon - 2m)
• Active listening (video - 3m)
• Logical consequences (video - 1m)
• Redirection (video - 1m)
• Setting behavioral expectations (video - 1m)
• Creating family rules (video - 2m)

Find more child development & guidance in our database below.

Make time to focus on your own well-being.+

Self care is important for you and for your family. Throughout the day, remember to be kind to yourself. This is a stressful time--a time to cut yourself some slack, not expect perfection. While finding the time may seem impossible, 10 minutes spent laughing, taking deep breaths, or going for a walk around the block can make a big difference. Here are a few ways we suggest bringing more peace and compassion into your life (all of which can be done with kids in tow):

• Laugh! Whether it’s a hilarious twitter thread or a funny show. (Solo | with Kids)
• Mindfulness to reduce anxiety. (Solo | with Kids)
• Workout the stress. (Solo | with Kids)
• Find social connection safely. (Solo | with Kids)
• Practice self-empathy and compassion. (Solo | with Kids or checkout Sesame's #caringforeachother)

Whatever helps you to keep a healthy mindset, try and find even a few minutes a day to focus on it and spend time doing it. Remember you can’t care for others when you’re not caring for yourself.

Find more family wellbeing resources in our database below.

Only have 5 minutes? Here are quick answers to common questions-

• My budget is tight - what free resources are there? There are a lot of free resources for families - click here to see a full list. You can also be connected to local services including free or no cost internet and phone plans as well as other necessities through: COVID-19 Mutual Aid, 211.org, and findhelp.org
• I work in essential services - how do I find my emergency care? You can find state and region-specific options on this spreadsheet as well as searchable databases of emergency care near you from CareLuLu and Winnie. To receive more 1-to-1 support contact call 211.
• How do I explain what is happening to my young children? Children are wonderfully curious, but that can be stressful when you don't have a clear (or age-appropriate) answer to their frequent questions. Here are some helpful resources for navigating those difficult conversations:
  • Answering Your Young Child's Coronavirus Questions
  • Supporting Young Children Isolated Due to COVID-19
  • How to Talk to Your Kids About Coronavirus with PBS Kids this resource includes cartoon episodes from Sesame and Daniel Tiger as well as short videos.
• How do I create routines with my children? We have a great blog post on creating routines with children. You can also find resources that promote routines by selecting the "routines & schedules" tag in our database here.
• I don't have a tablet or smartphone, just a tv - what are my options? Common Sense Media has great lists of young child friendly tv shows and movies - see their recommendations here or explore our list of TV resources.
• What are my screen-free options? You can see a full list of screen free resources for 0-2 year olds and 3-5 year olds.