Alright?
Over the past two months how each of us has reacted to and coped with the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown has varied hugely. Some have felt overwhelmed, others like me have retreated into introvert heaven.
Besides washing our hands and being ‘spaced out’ one of the other concerns I have greatly appreciated is for that of our mental health. ‘It’s ok to not be ok’ has been a good phrase to remember.
I have appreciated helpful websites, daily emails, and Nigel Latta’s reassurances to relax and just let things go a bit. It is important to acknowledge that we are living in challenging times.
Then I saw this book and thought, what a great book!
Aroha’s Way is a bestselling picture book for children around uncomfortable emotions; fear, apprehension, worrying thoughts and nervousness with ways to manage them.
This is a great picture book that you can read to your children and for them to read on their own, over and over. It is good to talk about it afterwards as well.
The book concludes with some useful pages to help children reflect on how Aroha coped with her feelings and emotions without letting them get on top of her.
You can listen to it being read here:
Other resources for processing emotions:
Notice 5…4…3…2…1 (SUNZ)
Pause, Hold, Engage (Parenting Place)
A few songs to help:
Fear Not by Kristine DeMarco
Fear Not by Ellie Holcomb
My Lighthouse by Rend Collective Kids (with hand motions)
Finally my current favourite: Psalm 46:10 ‘Be still and know that I am God’, which plays as a great earworm over and over in my head.