Covid Kids: Joy's Story of Coping in a Difficult Time

COVID Kids: Joy's Story of Coping in a Difficult Time is a story about a young elementary school child who is concerned about her mother's exposure to the virus while working as a nurse, her anxiety about social distancing from her grandparents, friends, and neighbors, attending online school, and the many changes her family faced when her father lost his job as a chef. The book was designed to help children compare and contrast their own family changes to those of the main character, as she adjusted to home instruction, masks, less money, and changes in routine. The book and the parents' guide at the end suggest how parents and teachers might identify teachable moments to develop coping skills, reduce anxiety and feelings of helplessness, and become more active in identifying areas where children can practice stress reduction and reassertion of control.