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COVID-19: 5 Ways Kids Can Help Slow the Spread

Here's a helpful infographic that provides kids an easy way to understand how they can help out in the efforts to "flatten the curve" and "slow the spread". I helped develop this through the local health department that contracts my services in the schools. Our plan is to have more infographics to follow.

We'll be adding support resources here, as we can. If you aren't already, and would like to be notified when new resources become available, join the Being Proactive
In times like these, when so many things are uncertain, it's important to have something on which we can focus that is proactive and contributes to the health of our communities. We all need to do our share, and it is helpful for us to feel we are making a contribution. The same is true for kids.
More to Come
Things are busy in the office, as we transition to provision of services via a telemedicine model and revamp and rethink how to best meet the needs of the children, teens and families in our community.

Kidlutions family by signing up for our newsletter HERE. The link will take you to our "Anger Toolbox for Kids" sign-up page. Signing up there will give you access to our free downloads and MP3, as well as give you ongoing access to our upcoming resources and downloads. As always, it is free, and you may unsubscribe at any time. Stay home and stay healthy,

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5 Ways Kids Can Help Slow the Spread of COVID19

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COVID-19: 5 Ways Kids Can Help Slow the Spread Here's a helpful infographic that provides kids an easy way to understand how they can help out in the efforts to "flatten the curve" and "slow the spread". I helped develop this through the local health department that contracts my services in the schools.

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Lo sentimos, la página que usted busca no se ha podido encontrar. Puede intentar su búsqueda de nuevo o visitar la lista de temas populares.

As the COVID-19 crisis continues to unfold, many parents are wondering how to talk to children about the impacts of the virus in a way that will be reassuring and not make kids more worried than they already may be. Here is some advice from the experts at the Child Mind Institute.

Welcome their questions. With so much up in the air, kids are bound to have questions they might not be asking. They might range from the very serious ("Will Grandma be okay?") to the seemingly silly ("Will my favorite ice cream parlor still be there?"). Encourage them to ask and, whatever the question, try to take your child's concerns seriously. Your goal is to help your children be heard and get fact-based information that is likely more reassuring than whatever they're hearing from their friends or on the news.

Don't avoid questions you can't answer. Given how much uncertainty there is, try to be comfortable saying "I don't know." It's tempting to want to reassure your child that things will be better soon, even when you aren't sure yourself. But teaching children how to tolerate uncertainty is key to reducing anxiety and helping them build resilience.

Set the tone. Look at these conversations as an opportunity not just to convey the facts but set the emotional tone. "You take on the news and you're the person who filters the news to your kid," explains Janine Domingues, PhD, a child psychologist at the Child Mind Institute.

Be developmentally appropriate. Don't volunteer too much information, as this may be overwhelming. Instead, try to answer your child's questions honestly and clearly. It's okay if you can't answer everything; being available to your child is what matters.

Take your cues from your child. Invite your child to tell you anything they may have heard about the coronavirus, and how they feel. Give them ample opportunity to ask questions. You want to be prepared to answer (but not prompt) questions. Your goal is to avoid encouraging frightening fantasies.

Deal with your own anxiety. "When you're feeling most anxious or panicked, that isn't the time to talk to your kids about what's happening with the coronavirus," warns Dr. Domingues. If you've just learned news that's upsetting, or that you worry will upset your child, take some time to calm down before trying to have a conversation or answer your child's questions.

Be reassuring. Children are very egocentric, so hearing about the mounting death toll on the news may make them seriously worry that they'll catch it, especially the coverage of the new syndrome affecting children. It's helpful to reassure your child that very few kids are getting sick, and that they're unlikely to catch it.

Focus on what you're doing to stay safe. An important way to reassure kids is to emphasize the safety precautions that you, and others around you, are taking. Jamie Howard, PhD, a child psychologist at the Child Mind Institute, notes, "Kids feel empowered when they know what to do to keep themselves safe." Remind kids that washing their hands is actually helping everyone by stopping the spread of the virus. Involve them in your family's ongoing safety plan. That could mean letting them choose masks for the family, or coming up with a new 20-second song -we're all a little tired of Happy Birthday!- to sing while you wash your hands.

Keep talking. Tell kids that you will continue to keep them updated as you learn more. "Let them know that the lines of communication are going to be open," says Dr. Domingues. "You can say, 'Even though we don't have the answers to everything right now, know that once we know more, mom or dad will let you know, too.'"

Did you know the Child Mind Institute is offering telehealth services? Learn more about Telehealth.

This article was last reviewed or updated on August 9, 2021.

Rachel Ehmke is a freelance writer and the former managing editor at the Child Mind Institute. She holds a BA ... Read Bio

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Talking to Kids About the Coronavirus Crisis - Child Mind Institute

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Lo sentimos, la página que usted busca no se ha podido encontrar. Puede intentar su búsqueda de nuevo o visitar la lista de temas populares. As the COVID-19 crisis continues to unfold, many parents are wondering how to talk to children about the impacts of the virus in a way that will be reassuring and not make kids more worried than they already may be.

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25 Fun Mindfulness Activities for Children & Teens (+Tips!)

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Fun mindfulness activities for kids to teach them about mindfulness. Enjoy!

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These techniques are also included in BLOOM:

Amazon's #1 New Release in Parenting School-Aged Children

Teaching Kids to Calm Down

Teaching kids to calm down is both a science and an art. When any of us are agitated, upset or anxious, our prefontal cortexes take a hiatus and we're left to deal with just our emotional brain (which, if you haven't noticed, doesn't always exercise the best judgment or make the best decisions).

When Kids' Engines are Revved Up

When kids' (or our) engines are revved up, a chemical chain reaction of sorts takes place, dumping adrenaline, cortisol and other hormones throughout our body. This served our ancestors well when they stared down the face of a sabre-toothed tiger and needed the energy and stamina to escape their predator. However, it's not such a great thing for a kid when they are being asked to complete a math assignment in class or get ready for bed. What looks like oppositional behavior may actually be stress and anxiety. But how do we change it?

In order to get the prefontal cortex back online, we need to sooth the limbic system (emotional brain). One of the simplest ways to achieve this is by breathing. I have two quick breathing exercises, one of which can be used anywhere by anyone and it's FREE! The other one can be used by anyone, too, but it requires bubbles (or you can just pretend you're blowing bubbles).

When we become stressed, we often breathe very shallow, filling our chests with air. Deep breathing requires that we fill our bellies with our breath. We should actually feel our diaphragm expand and contract when we do it right. For kids, we can tell them to pretend they have a balloon in their belly that is filling with air when they breathe in, and that it deflates when they breathe out. Demonstrate and practice with them, how to take deep breaths and exhale. Encourage kids to hold to their hands on their bellies to feel them expand when they are first learning how to do this. Repeat several times. There you have it, plain and simple...Balloon Breathing.

This one is great for outdoors or anywhere else you don't mind if a bit of bubble solution spills over, such as a kitchen or bathroom. For this technique, simply ask kids to inhale deeply (filling their bellies with air) and exhale slowly, blowing the bubbles while they do so. This will help kids become more conscious and intentional about breathing out slowly. (It's pretty hard to blow bubbles when you are breathing forcefully out.) When kids become stressed, they can be encouraged to balloon breathe or bubble breathe (with or without the bubbles).

When/How to Teach These Skills

Teach kids these skills when they are relaxed and unhurried. It's of limited use to try to teach such skills when a child is already in overdrive. The brain is not receptive to new learning at this point. A relaxed and happy brain learns best.

Practice, Practice, Practice!

This isn't a one and done technique. You will need to remind kids and practice these techniques with them several times before it becomes something they naturally do on their own. Eventually, they will do it on their own. Isn't it grand? Teach great coping and self-regulation skills that will last your child her whole life through!

More Resources for Self-Regulation

See all of our resources for self-regulation and MORE! Go HERE to see them.

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These techniques are also included in BLOOM: Amazon's #1 New Release in Parenting School-Aged Children Teaching Kids to Calm Down Teaching kids to calm down is both a science and an art.

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When it comes to stress, the best defense is a good offense. Defend your child against stress by following five simple tips that are known to help kids (and everyone) prevent stress and buffer its impact on their life.
1 . Get Some Zzzzzzz's

One of the single-most important things we can do as parents is make sure our kids get enough shut-eye. Sleep requirements vary with age. Refer to these guidelines by WebMD, and see how your child's sleep measures up. Be sure to scroll through to see each age bracket.

You know that feeling you get when you have too much to do and not enough time to do it? Your child gets it, too. School, play dates, sporting events, homework and more can all pile-up, leaving little down time for your child to just "be" a kid. Make sure your child has plenty of time to pursue her own interests in an unstructured manner.

3. Move It!

Physical activity is essential to your child or teen's overall health. Aside from providing exercise it releases those helpful "feel good chemicals" (endorphins), helps maintain a healthy weight, can aid in sleep and can become a family bonding time. Need some inspiration? See HERE.

4. Help Them Deal with Feelings

Not being able to deal effectively with feelings contributes to stress in a variety of ways. Negative thinking can be a root cause of anxiety and depression, even in kids and teens. It's most helpful to provide support and new tools to help kids cope, rather than to find yourself in damage control. If you need help supporting your child with this, you can find clinical strength resources to help kids and teens with feelings HERE.

5. Show Them How!

Parents who keep their cool and who can manage their own reactions have a competitive edge in helping their children do the same. If you are a parent who struggles with your own emotions, you are not alone. Get more support to help you better deal with things, so you can help your children. If you are looking for a whole new approach at this parenting thing, check out how neuroscience can inform our parenting practices and help our families find their sweet spot.

TIME LIMITED: Our newest stress aid for kids is here.

40% OFF NOW...see details below.

This is just a beginning. There are many more things parents can do to help their kids combat stress. What's your favorite approach to keeping your family relaxed and happy?

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5 EASY Ways to Prevent Stress in Kids and Teens

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When it comes to stress, the best defense is a good offense. Defend your child against stress by following five simple tips that are known to help kids (and everyone) prevent stress and buffer its impact on their life. 1 .

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Why Routines Matter: Safety Above All

The number one thing our brains crave is safety: Safety above all.

And when the world around us seems chaotic, when the guidance and rules on what we should do to stay healthy change by the hour and when much of our normal day-to-day life has come to a screeching halt, a routine can provide the structure we need to give us some sense of normalcy. With that in mind, daily routines can be downright imperative.

Rhythm and Predictability

Routines give us something to rely on, an anchor through the storm and a stronghold for the day ahead. Routines can show us what we have accomplished and what comes next. It provides a rhythm and a sense of predictability to our day that gives us as sense of security. We need that now more than ever.

In young children in particular, their planning skills are still developing and providing a routine helps build that skill, as well as assists them in learning the concept of "before-after".

Your routine need not be elaborate. Simplicity is key, so just start somewhere.

We've developed a printable as an example of a simple routine, as well as a blank one you can customize for yourself.

You can download and use our example as a guide to build your own routine. Add what makes sense to you and customize to suit your family's needs.

Let's take a look at our example of a simple routine, below.

Daily Routine: Our Example

Our example routine includes the typical morning routine, activities, family time and a bedtime routine. You'll also see we've added movement breaks. Oh, yes! We've just added those in to remind you that movement is important. Add as many movement breaks as you care to. The more the better!

Grab your printables HERE.

You'll also see the peach colored bubbles along the left and right edges. We've added those in as non-negotiable, daily doses of goodness we all need. Well, okay, they aren't necessarily life sustaining...or are they? Hmmmm.

We know for a fact that all of those things enhance and improve our lives, help us cope better and some of them improve our immunity...an important issue we'll talk about in a future post.

You can add your own non-negotiables in the peach bubbles. If kids are "bored" and they are old enough to have a smart phone, they can be charged with finding a "joke of the day", locating relaxation exercises for the family, finding a new recipe to try for dinner, organizing a cupboard, etc.

Why not make a boredom list that includes do-able jobs for kids that they can accomplish in 15 minutes? More on boredom to follow in a future post!

Grab your printables HERE.

Once you print out your daily routine printable, you can proceed in a number of ways. You can fill it out with the activities and schedule you would like you children to follow, or better yet, sit down with your children and fill it out together. (Hint: Kids are more likely to take ownership and follow-through with schedules they helped develop!) A hybrid approach would be to fill in things you absolutely want your kids doing during the day, while leaving some of the bubbles open for their contributions.

If a routine is new for your family, stick with it. Help your kids follow-through with the agreed upon schedule by keeping it in an easily accessible spot. Be patient and provide loving guidance as your family leans into following their routine.

While preparing this post, it occurred to me that creating and following a routine affords a few bonuses and solutions to a few other trouble spots our readers mentioned as frequent concerns due to have the kids home full time: boredom and sibling rivalry.

A routine offers structure, along with suggested activities. Don't be shy about adding suggested fun activities, or starting a separate list of fun things to do. A routine can potentially also help reduce sibling rivalry, as endless hours don't just seem to go on forever. There is a plan in place, a guide of what to do next.

In closing, remember that old saying by Benjamin Franklin, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."

What will you absolutely include in your daily routine? Tell us below...or join in on the discussion on Facebook.

COVID-19 and Coping: The Series

Here is where we'll share links to the latest posts, as they become available. You may wish to bookmark this page, as the list will grow over time, in response to our reader's needs:

Routine: Why Keeping a Routine is Important, Especially Now

Boredom: Dealing with Boredom While Confined to Home

Sibling Rivalry: Getting Along When the Days are Long

Kids Questions: Answering Kids Questions in Uncertain Times

Sanity Savers for Parents: How to Keep Your Sanity During Challenging Times

Fostering Hope: Keeping Hope Alive During Challenging Times

Connection: Keeping in Touch with Grandparents When You Can't Be Together

Follow her on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook! She'd love to see your smiling face there! Affiliate links may be used in this post. Please see our full disclaimer, located at the top of our page for more information.

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Keeping a Routine When the Kids are Home: COVID-19 Coping Series

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Why Routines Matter: Safety Above All The number one thing our brains crave is safety: Safety above all. And when the world around us seems chaotic, when the guidance and rules on what we should do to stay healthy change by the hour and when much of our normal day-to-day life has come to a screeching halt, a routine can provide the structure we need to give us some sense of normalcy.

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Positive Psychology is the scientific study of the strengths that enable individuals and communities to thrive. The field is founded on the belief that people want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, to cultivate what is best within themselves, and to enhance their experiences of love, work, and play.

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Try it then create your own!

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Acton Academy: a global network of microschools
Tom Vander Ark

It seemed like we were experiencing a lot of change with the climate crisis, the innovation economy, and trade wars-then comes a pandemic. As the emergency brake was pulled on the economy last week, almost everything shut down. Many were laid off, others are trying to figure out how to work from home. The disruption is establishing new baselines in work, learning, healthcare, and governance. In fact, it's a hard reset on everything.

10 things that will be new and different post-pandemic:

Big class of 2040: there will be a spike in birth rates early in 2021 resulting in a couple big cohorts moving through school.

More remote work: after adapting to remote work, many companies will continue to support more work from home. A growing number of companies will reduce their leased space or go completely virtual. Prices of expensive urban commercial real estate will quickly soften and developers will hit the brakes on new construction.

More personalized competency-based learning: states have begun to issue guidance to high schools and it basically says, "figure it out"-find learning options for kids, make judgements about competency, and waive what you can. Post-pandemic, a lot more high schools will have more flexible, "show what you know " options.

And that goes for teachers, too! There will be less of the sit-and-get professional development and more flexible, personalized professional learning for teachers.

More community connected project-based learning: with state testing cancelled and a lot more flexible time, many learners are engaging in interest-based learning and impromptu projects. School closures have been a reminder that learning can happen anywhere. When kids return to school, some schools will respond with more project-based learning connected to local problems and opportunities.

A new frame of meaningful measures: We can officially call this the official end of the 30-year era of standards-based reform and the associated preoccupation with grade level reading and math proficiency as the only measure of progress for learners and quality for schools.

Pre-pandemic, there was growing consensus about the importance of success skills (e.g., self and social awareness, collaboration, resilience, growth mindset) and that has only increased in the last month.

There will be a resumption of state tests at some point, but it will be in the context of broader goals and new forms of evidence. Schools will help learners build a comprehensive profile and assemble an extended transcript that reflects their personal learning journey.

More home-based and hybrid learning: After parents figure out learning at home, half a million students won't go back to school. And a bunch of school districts will get more aggressive about supporting home schoolers with hybrid learning centers like Workspace Education in Bethel, Connecticut, and Da Vinci Connect near Los Angeles International Airport.

Hundreds of parents will turn their homeschool into a microschool. Networks like Acton Academy will continue their explosive growth.

Fewer expensive schools and colleges: Dozens of private colleges and schools will never reopen after learners and parents scrambled to find less expensive flexible alternatives.

Continuity of learning: By the 2020-21 school year, the learning institutions will have a continuity of learning plan with a blended curriculum, personal or take home devices, and support for ubiquitous wi-fi. No more snow days!

Post-pandemic, more people will think of education as a public service more than a place.

Better safety net: millions of Americans suddenly out of work is forcing U.S. Congress and state legislatures to quickly improve social safety nets. This will not only address short term challenges, but improve long term ability to weather dislocation; we're in for a long, bumpy ride.

New mutuality: perhaps the most foundational change will be a recognition of our new mutuality-we're all in this together. We think that will translate into difference-making: more schools focusing on helping young people find and begin making their unique contribution.

We're experiencing a terrible shock-one that will get worse before it gets better, but some good will come from it if we work together.

... Read More

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Hard Reset: What Will Be New Post Pandemic

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As the emergency brake was pulled on the economy last week, almost everything shut down. Many were laid off, others are trying to figure out how to work from home. The disruption is establishing new baselines in work, learning, healthcare, and governance. In fact, it's a hard reset on everything.

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Explore guided exercises, videos, and more to help you get healthier and happier.

Just 10 days of Headspace can increase happiness by 16%.

Connect with friends and over 60 million people benefiting from mindfulness.

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Meditation and Sleep Made Simple - Headspace

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Explore guided exercises, videos, and more to help you get healthier and happier. Just 10 days of Headspace can increase happiness by 16%. Connect with friends and over 60 million people benefiting from mindfulness.

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31 questions and answers about COVID-19

My thoughts on what to do now and other topics.
Yesterday I did a Reddit Ask Me Anything session on COVID-19. As usual, Redditors asked a lot of smart questions, and it was a great opportunity to have a fact-based discussion about this pandemic and what we can do to prevent the next one. (And as I mentioned in this exchange, it's nice to have so many positive interactions in such an uncertain time.) Below is a transcript of all the questions I could get to (lightly edited for length), along with my answers. I'll be sharing more about COVID-19 here on the Gates Notes and on my social channels. In the meantime, stay healthy and keep washing your hands! Redditor's question : What about the current crisis worries you the most? What gives you the most hope?
My answer: The current phase has a lot of the cases in rich countries. With the right actions including the testing and social distancing (which I call "shut down") within 2-3 months the rich countries should have avoided high levels of infection. I worry about all the economic damage but even worse will be how this will affect the developing countries who cannot do the social distancing the same way as rich countries and whose hospital capacity is much lower.
Can you explain briefly what most Americans can do to help other Americans in this moment of crisis?
---

A big thing is to go along with the "shut down" approach in your community so that the infection rate drops dramatically to let us go back to normal as soon as possible. Some people like health care workers will be doing heroic work and we need to support them. We do need to stay calm even though this is an unprecedented situation.
Is there any chance that the 18 month timeline for development of a vaccine can be shortened, and by how much?
---

This is a great question. There are over 6 different efforts going on to make a vaccine. Some use a new approach called RNA which is unproven. We will have to build lots of manufacturing for the different approaches knowing that some of them will not work. We will need literally billions of vaccines to protect the world. Vaccines require testing to make sure they are safe and effective. Some vaccines like the flu don't for the elderly.

The first vaccines we get will go to health care workers and critical workers. This could happen before 18 months if everything goes well but we and Dr. Fauci and others are being careful not to promise this when we are not sure. The work is going at full speed.
I'd also like to ask the same thing, but with regards to the timeline for an effective treatment.
---

A therapeutic could be available well before a vaccine. Ideally this would reduce the number of people who need intensive care including respirators. The Foundation has organized a Therapeutics Accelerator to look at all the most promising ideas and bring all the capabilities of industry into play. So I am hopeful something will come out of this. It could be an anti-viral or antibodies or something else.

One idea that is being explored is using the blood (plasma) from people who are recovered. This may have antibodies to protect people. If it works it would be the fastest way to protect health care workers and patients who have severe disease.
As an educator, what is something I can do for my students, especially for my low-income students who don't have access to technology during this time? I have tried to send reassuring emails (including cat pictures), but I worry about the educational impact, as well as the long-term impact to my students' well being.
---

It is a huge problem that schools will likely be shut down for the next few months. I am impressed by the creative approaches that many teachers are coming up with to teach remotely. (If you are a teacher reading this, thank you for the work you're doing.) But I know that not everyone is set up to teach remotely. There are a lot of good online resources out there, including Khan Academy, CommonLit, Illustrative Mathematics, Zearn, and Scholastic. Comcast and other internet connectivity providers are doing special programs to help with access. Microsoft and others are working on getting machines out but the supply chain is quite constrained. Unfortunately low-income students will be hurt more by the situation than others so we need to help any way we can.
What do you think about China's response to the outbreak? How would you rate their response on a scale 1-10?
---

After January 23 when they realized how serious it was they did strong social isolation which made a huge difference. Of course that isolation created a lot of difficulties for the people involved but they were able to stop the case spread. Other countries will do it somewhat differently but a combination of testing and social isolation clearly works and that is all we have until we get a vaccine.
In your opinion, after this pandemic comes to a close, however long that may be, what should be the first step we as a global community take so that we are better prepared for the next pandemic?
---

The TED talk I did in 2015 talked about this. We need to have the ability to scale up diagnostics, drugs and vaccines very rapidly. The technologies exist to do this well if the right investments are made. Countries can work together on this. We did create CEPI = Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation which did some work on vaccines but that needs to be funded at higher level to have the standby manufacturing capacity for the world.
Why do you think most world governments weren't prepared if you and other experts warned of such events such as this?
---

No one could predict what the chance of a new virus emerging was. However we did know it would happen at some point either with a flu or some other respiratory virus. There was almost no funding. The creation of CEPI which was funded by our foundation, Wellcome, Norway, Japan, Germany, and the UK was a step but tiny compared to what should have happened. We prepare for possible wars and fires and now we have to have preparation for epidemics treated with the same seriousness. The good news is that our biological tools including new ways to make diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines make it possible to have a strong response system for naturally caused epidemics.
I live in Seattle, like you, and it feels like our testing has not increased. Our number of confirmed cases are starting to lag behind other states. What do you think gives? Effective social distancing or lack of testing?
---

The testing in the US is not organized yet. In the next few weeks I hope the Government fixes this by having a website you can go to to find out about home testing and kiosks. Things are a bit confused on this right now. In Seattle the U of W is providing thousands of tests per day but no one is connected to a national tracking system.

Whenever there is a positive test it should be seen to understand where the disease is and whether we need to strengthen the social distancing. South Korea did a great job on this including digital contact tracing.
I read the Do you agree with these numbers, and if so, is there any excuse for not immediately issuing a shelter in place order for the entire country? Imperial College COVID-19 Response Team report as well as Covid-19 testing standards seem grossly unfair in favor of the rich and famous. Testing is happening for people like professional sports players, even those without any symptoms at all. I'm not talking about health care workers or people in essential jobs- I'm talking about actors, actresses, sports players and so on. On the flip side, the guidance from Kaiser in WA is that you must have a fever of 101.5 and either serious shortness of breath or a bad cough, and even then testing results take 5 days or more. How is it that even with something like covid-19 testing, which the government is supposed to manage, the rich and famous are getting special treatment? Is there a big stash of tests that are reserved for "people that matter"? Isn't it hypocritical for everyone else to be told they need to look out for the common good and avoid demanding too much of the health care system, meanwhile the rich and famous get whatever they want, when they want it? this explanation in a historical context. Essentially, it says that by doing nothing, 4 million Americans die. Through the mitigation strategy-i.e. social distancing and "flattening the curve"- it says that 1.1-2 million Americans will die. However, it also says that the suppression strategy, or "shutting everything down for 18 months"-will lead to only a few thousand people dying. What do you think of the current approach the Netherlands is currently taking to combat this virus? They are not going to a full lockdown but rather try to spread it controllably in order to work towards "herd immunity".
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Fortunately it appears the parameters used in that model were too negative. The experience in China is the most critical data we have. They did their "shut down" and were able to reduce the number of cases. They are testing widely so they see rebounds immediately and so far there have not been a lot. They avoided widespread infection. The Imperial model does not match this experience. Models are only as good as the assumptions put into them. People are working on models that match what we are seeing more closely and they will become a key tool. A group called Institute for Disease Modeling that I fund is one of the groups working with others on this.
Thoughts on chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine?
---

We need to democratize and scale the testing system by having a CDC website that people go to and enter their situation. Priority situations should get tested within 24 hours. This is very possible since many countries have done it. Health care workers for example should have priority. Elderly people should have priority. We will be able to catch up on the testing demand within a few weeks of getting the system in place. Without the system we don't know what is missing-swabs, reagents etc..
How is your foundation helping the current pandemic? Are you donating money, producing products for health workers?
---

The only model that is known to work is a serious social distancing effort ("shut down"). If you don't do this then the disease will spread to a high percentage of the population and your hospitals will be overloaded with cases. So this should be avoided despite the problems caused by the "shut down". If a country doesn't control its cases then other countries will prevent anyone going into or coming out of that country. I think the Netherlands will end up doing what other countries are doing.
Is there anything you can do to assist with ventilator production?
---

There are a lot of therapeutic drugs being examined. This is one of many but it is not proven. If it works we will need to make sure the finite supplies are held for the patients who need it most. We have a study going on to figure this out. We also have a screening effort to look at all the ideas for Therapeutics because the number being proposed is very large and only the most promising should be tried in patients. China was testing some things but now they have so few cases that that testing needs to move to other locations.
Should there be a national shelter in place order? Why or why not?
---
--- What changes are we going to have to make to how businesses operate to maintain our economy while providing social distancing?
Our foundation is working with all the groups who make diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines to make sure the right efforts are prioritized. We want to make sure all countries get access to these tools. We donated $100M in February for a variety of things and we will be doing more. One priority is to make sure that there is enough manufacturing capacity for therapeutics and vaccines. We have other efforts like our education group working to make sure the online resources for students are as helpful as they can be.

---
--- When will this all end?
There are a lot of efforts to do this. If we do social distancing ("shut down") properly then the surge of cases won't be as overwhelming. Our foundation's expertise is in diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines so we are not involved in the ventilator efforts but it could make a contribution to have more especially as the disease gets into developing countries including Africa.

---
How long will this go on?
Most people can shelter in their home but for people who that doesn't work for there should be a place for them to go. We are working on seeing if we can send test kits to people at home so they don't have to go out and so the tests get to the people who are the priority. The US still is not organized on testing.

The question of which businesses should keep going is tricky. Certainly food supply and the health system. We still need water, electricity and the internet. Supply chains for critical things need to be maintained. Countries are still figuring out what to keep running.
Won't a rebound happen after the shutdown ends?
Eventually we will have some digital certificates to show who has recovered or been tested recently or when we have a vaccine who has received it.
--- What is the projected amount of positive cases in 1 month? 3 months? 6 months? Any thoughts or theories as to what will happen in China when the lockdown is lifted? Is it possible that a 2nd wave could come out?
To bring it to small numbers globally we need a vaccine. Many rich countries will be able to keep the number of cases small (including the US) if they do the right things but developing countries will find it very difficult to stop the spread so a vaccine is critical. A group called GAVI helps buy vaccines for developing countries and they will play a key role once we have a vaccine being made in volume.

---
Can you provide any estimates for how much of the world's population might become infected?
This will vary a lot by country. China is seeing very few cases now because their testing and "shut down" was very effective. If a country does a good job with testing and "shut down" then within 6-10 weeks they should see very few cases and be able to open back up.

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Given the economic impact of COVID-related social distancing, isolation, and quarantine, is your foundation committed to anything beyond direct medical intervention? For example, increasing funding to food banks, politically supporting bills that provide income/sick leave for workers, etc.?
It depends on how you deal with people coming in from other countries and how strong the testing effort was. So far in China the amount of rebound being seen is very low. They are controlling people coming into the country very tightly. Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore have all done a good job on this. If we do it right the rebounds should be fairly small in numbers.

China is not reporting much rebound. The number of cases in South Korea is going in the right direction. If people who test positive isolate themselves then the spread can be very low. The sooner people know they are infected the sooner they can isolate.
I have friend who is an NHS doctor. Since yesterday he is working without masks as they have run out. Who is hogging all the masks?
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This will vary a lot by country. Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore acted quickly and will have very few cases. Even China will stay at a low level of their population (less than .01%) so far. Thailand is another exemplar. Unfortunately in poorer countries doing social distancing is much harder. People live in close proximity and need to work to get their food so there could be countries where the virus will spread broadly.
What about the NY Times report that just came leaking a government document saying this will be 18 months with "multiple waves"?
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The Foundation is focused on its area of expertise which is diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines. There will be lots of opportunity to give to social service organizations including food banks and I am sure people will be generous about this. Once we know who tests positive we can figure out how to support them so they can stay isolated and still get the food and medicine they need.
But when they open back up is not like starting over? The total number of cured vs those who can still be infected is still small.
---

I am sorry to hear this. This is an example of why we need the social distancing to minimize the number of cases and why we need the national testing network and database to get running as soon as possible.
Do you believe the news coming out of China though? It's hard to at this point.
---

There are many models to look at what will happen. That article is based on a set of assumptions derived from Influenza and it doesn't match what has happened in China or even South Korea. So we need to be humble about what we know but it does appear that social distancing with testing can get the cases down to low levels.
What precautions should I take when delivering things such as groceries to my grandparents to limit my exposure to them?
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The goal is to keep the number infected to a small percentage. In China less than .01% of the population was infected because of the measures they took. Most rich countries should be able to achieve a low level of infections. Some developing countries will not be able to do that.
Why are we not on a lockdown yet?
---

China is doing a lot of testing. South Korea is also doing a good job of testing. Once China got serious in January they have been quite open about their cases so yes the good news is they are seeing very few infections at this point. The US needs to get its testing system organized so we see what is going on.
How is the economy likely to recover after all of this in your opinion?
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Hand washing is key. Keeping a distance. Having someone else do it if you have a fever or are coughing.
What do you see as the long-term strategy for fighting this pandemic and do you feel like it will adequately prepare us for the next?
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We are going into lockdown but as usual in retrospect we should have done it sooner. The sooner it is done the easier it is to get the cases down to small numbers.

---

Yes eventually. The economic impact of the "shut down" will be large but if it is done well (including the testing piece which I keep mentioning) eventually we can open back up.

---

I think that after this is under control that Governments and others will invest heavily in being ready for the next one. This will take global cooperation particularly to help the developing countries who will be hurt the most. A good example is the need to test therapeutics wherever the disease is to help the whole world. The Virus doesn't respect national boundaries.

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31 questions and answers about COVID-19 My thoughts on what to do now and other topics. Yesterday I did a Reddit Ask Me Anything session on COVID-19. As usual, Redditors asked a lot of smart questions, and it was a great opportunity to have a fact-based discussion about this pandemic and what we can do to prevent the next one.

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Our leading workplace program is used by companies like IBM, Australian Government & the AFL. It enables staff to develop skills to manage their mind more effectively using the tool of mindfulness and in doing so, support stress management², develop focus³, and increase connections⁴ within life at work and at home.
About our Workplace Program

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Our leading workplace program is used by companies like IBM, Australian Government & the AFL. It enables staff to develop skills to manage their mind more effectively using the tool of mindfulness and in doing so, support stress management², develop focus³, and increase connections⁴ within life at work and at home.

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The Truman Group at http://www.truman-group.com/ offers psychological care for expats virtually. Sessions are conducted via secure, confidential streaming video.

Betterhelp.com is an affordable online counseling service used by other practicing international school counselors to support families.

Common Chord Psychology Services/Dr. Laura Anderson  www.drlsanderson.com or drlsanderson@gmail.com Common Chord Psychology facebook page.

RNG International a great resource to help find services in the USA or elsewhere for students and families needing learning support, therapeutic services or boarding schools. They also offer college counseling.

Online counseling directory: Counseling Director in UK

Expat Nest

American Well www.amwell.com doctors, therapists and specialists

Break Through

*William & Associate Counseling Services www.wacs.ca

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We want young people, like you, to get the mental and emotional health advice you need, when you need it

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Resources on Wellbeing for Young Children & Teens

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Resources on Wellbeing for Young Children & Teens

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This year's Good Childhood Report reveals that too many young people are unhappy with their lives. 10% of the children aged 10 to 17 who completed our household survey in May and June 2023 had low wellbeing, and almost a third were unhappy with at least one specific area of their lives. This is unacceptable. The Government must act now to protect every childhood.

Download the reports

Download the full report at the top, or download the summary reports here:

Our key findings

Almost a third of the children aged 10 to 17 who completed our annual survey this year were unhappy with at least one of the ten specific areas of their lives that we ask about.

The majority (74%) of children who completed our annual survey felt positive about their own futures, but less than four in ten felt positive about the future of the country and the world.

More children (aged 10 to 17) who completed our annual survey were unhappy with school (14.5%), a larger proportion than for the other nine aspects of life included in the Good Childhood Index.

Children aged 10 to 17 who completed our annual survey who worried about how much money their family had were more likely to be unhappy than those without financial worries with all the different aspects of life that they were asked about, and particularly with their home, money and things they own, and the amount of choice they have.

When asked about a list of seven issues relevant for the future, having enough money was the item that more children and young people worried about, followed by finding a job and getting good grades at school.

When asked about a set of nine societal issues, rising prices was the top worry among children completing the survey this year, followed by the environment.

key findings from Good Childhood Report 2021

of children aged 10 to 17 who completed our annual survey in 2023 had low wellbeing.

parents and carers who completed our annual survey were concerned about the impact of the cost of living increases on their family/household.

Children's wellbeing over time

The current generation of children and young people is growing up at a time of unprecedented turbulence and uncertainty. As society tries to recover from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, there have been numerous crises in the UK and internationally, notably steep increases to the cost of living, and the climate emergency remains a concern for many young people.
Analysis from Understanding Society data presented in this year's report shows children (aged 10 to 15)'s average happiness scores with their life as a whole, their friends, appearance, school, and schoolwork were all significantly lower in 2020-21, the latest data available, than when the Understanding Society survey began in 2009-10. Family was the only aspect of life for which children's average happiness scores remained relatively stable.

On average, children aged 10 to 15 who took part in the Understanding Society survey were most happy with their family and least happy with their appearance.

The latest data seem to paint a worrying picture for girls, with their average happiness scores for each of the six measures significantly lower in 2020-21 than when the Understanding Society survey first started in 2009-10. Also, on average girls were still significantly less happy with their appearance than boys, which has been the case since the survey started.

Children's worries about the future

Children's wellbeing is linked to their hopes and worries about the future. As society continues to face turbulence and uncertainty both in the UK and internationally, we asked children and young people aged 10 to 17 how they felt about this in our annual survey.

Having enough money, finding a job and getting good grades at school were their top worries from a list of seven issues relevant to their future. A higher proportion of children who thought their family was not well off or who had low wellbeing, were worried about all seven aspects relevant for their future that they were asked about.

On a brighter note, nearly three quarters of children and young people (74%) felt positive about their own future. However, this positivity did not extend to the future of the country and the world: less than four in 10 children and young people felt positive about the future of the country (38%) or the future of the world (36%).

facts about how young people feel about the future

of children and young people felt positive about their own future

felt positive about the future of the country

What can we do to help improve young people's wellbeing?

Time and time again, when we ask children what needs to change to improve their lives, they tell us simply that they want to feel supported and listened to. This is not too much to ask. Children and young people need a cohesive, responsive, and compassionate system of support around them which aims to prevent their wellbeing from declining, alongside a co-designed and fully funded national strategy for a good childhood. Our priority recommendations are:

1. Protecting children from the rising cost of living by renewing investment in social security for children through an increase to child benefits. As a minimum, the Government should target increases for the families facing the brunt of price rises by uplifting the child element of Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit and removing the two-child limit.

2. Standing up for children to build hope and security for their futures by creating Cabinet level posts of Minister for Children in both the UK and Welsh governments to share children's views at the highest level of political decision making and champion children's needs across all government departments.

3. Creating a system that starts with prevention by understanding how children are doing. The Government should measure children's subjective wellbeing at least annually and on a much larger national scale across England and Wales.

4. Taking responsibility for girls' unhappiness by commissioning research without further delay. The Government needs to understand why young people, and especially girls, are more unhappy with their appearance, so that effective action can be taken.

5. Enabling schools to support pupils' wellbeing by expanding mental health support teams (MHSTs) to all schools with long-term funding. DHSC and DfE must make sure that no child in England goes without mental health and wellbeing support at school.

6. Responding to the needs of parents, carers, and families by working with the voluntary and community sector. DHSC should pilot innovative parent and carer mental health and wellbeing support offers. These could work in partnership with MHSTs and family hubs, once available in all areas.

No child should suffer without support. Every child deserves a good childhood with access to the help they need.

There is going to be a brighter future at the end of it hopefully.

The Good Childhood Report 2023

For more information about the dominant trends in children's wellbeing, read the full report.

Read the full report

our wellbeing work

We protect and listen to young people in their most crucial stages of development. Our mental health drop-in centres across the country are there for young people when they need to talk about their problems. We keep them safe from abuse, neglect and exploitation.

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Our Good Childhood Report finds that modern life continues to erode the happiness of young people - worried about school, friendships and how they look.

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How Teachers can Navigate their Emotions During School Closure

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How Teachers can Navigate their Emotions During School Closure

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The COVID-19 crisis is forcing educational professionals across the globe to take a collective breath. What's next? Whether we're actively planning online lessons from our homes or bingeing more Netflix movies than we had ever anticipated, we're faced with so many unknowns-and more time to sit with our emotions.

We may feel overwhelmed, fearful, and emotionally fragile. Perhaps also restless, bored, and helpless. With so much uncertainty, how can we navigate this range of emotions? After all, researchers remind us that our stress-management skills ultimately help our students (and those around us) stay calmer.

Here are a few simple and easy-to-implement practices that you can draw on to manage difficult emotions.

Soothe yourself

Begin by acknowledging the emotions you are experiencing right now and genuinely offer yourself some understanding. Researchers Kristin Neff and Chris Germer invite us to take a moment for what they call a " self-compassion break "-a gentle, reassuring practice that you can try any time in your day when you feel particularly overwhelmed, discouraged, or frustrated. For what it's worth, I practice it all the time-and my teenage daughter finds it reassuring and calming, as well.

First, tell yourself, "This thing I'm dealing with is tough." (Or "This is a moment of suffering," or whatever words feel natural to you.) The idea is to "hold with" the moment of emotional pain, be with it, and accept that it is happening.

Second, acknowledge that you are not alone in your suffering. "So many teachers (and other human beings on this globe) face this same sense of overwhelm I'm experiencing right now." The idea here is to recognize your "common humanity," so that you feel less isolated in your pain-and ultimately more connected to others.

Third, offer yourself some kind or compassionate words-and even a soothing gesture or touch (like placing a hand on your heart). As humans, we are wired to respond positively to calming voices and gentle touch. Again, use your own style here. You might say, "May I be kind to myself today" or "May I be especially gentle with myself today."

If you're interested in deepening your practice of self-compassion, you might also try writing a self-compassionate letter, listening to this mindful self-compassion practice, or even taking a self-compassion course specifically designed for educators.

Affirm your values and strengths

What if restlessness and cynicism seem to prevail, and you don't feel effective in your work-or lack thereof? It's crucial to keep coming back to "what matters" most to you, again and again. And, more importantly, to seek opportunities to enact your values in small ways each day.

One way to give yourself a little boost is to reaffirm your values. Where do you want to place your attention and energy-right now? On beauty, humor, spontaneity, curiosity, creativity, connection? What feeds you? You can draw on this Affirming Your Important Values exercise to reorient in the moment. According to one study, affirming your values when you're feeling helpless can help protect your mood.

Having a guiding light is helpful, but so is making a concrete plan. Try this Use Your Strengths exercise where you choose a personal strength-such as courage, teamwork, or humor-consider one simple way you might use it each day for a week, and then act on your idea whenever the opportunity arises.

For example, you might see "perseverance" as a personal strength and value. How might you model that strength through your contact with students, colleagues, and family members? Perhaps you could share quotes and notes of encouragement that highlight this value, host a daily ritual that children and families can rely on-like an online read-aloud-or feature stories of perseverance in your online history course. Research suggests that identifying and using your strengths daily for only one week may actually increase your happiness and help stave off symptoms of depression.

Send good wishes to others

Of course, there may be times during this crisis when it becomes more challenging to tap your strengths and values. At one point in my teaching career, I woke up every day with a visceral sense of dread. Despite my commitment to my students, preparing to face them required intense mental effort each morning.

Here's one simple way I found a sense of comfort and hope. I pulled into the parking lot, looked over at the building, and mentally sent good wishes to myself, my students, and my colleagues: "May I/you be safe; may I/you be happy; may I/you be healthy; may I/you live with ease." Simply infusing this way of thinking into my daily interactions bolstered me as I confronted the more difficult aspects of my job and life circumstances. Your "parking lot" may now be your living room, and your laptop screen may be your "building," but the sentiment remains the same.

This brief practice (called "loving-kindness") is one of the most effective ways for increasing our empathy and compassion for others. Studies indicate that people who practice loving-kindness for just a few weeks can experience more self-compassion and positive emotions, and relief from depression, anxiety, and chronic pain.

If you would like to try more formal versions of this practice, here is a loving-kindness practice and a practice called Imagining Flourishing and Kindness.

Consider mindfulness as a way of being

Mindfulness, broadly speaking, is another form of kindness. It's taking time-right now-to simply be with your thoughts and feelings. No judgment necessary. I can be aware of my mental chatter and intense emotions, and I can also practice openness and curiosity as I observe my ever-changing internal world.

When I started teaching over 25 years ago (pre-mindfulness practice!), I would sometimes steal away from the stress at lunchtime, close my door for five minutes, turn off the lights, and lie on my back-calming my overstimulated mind and body. I was caught up in the needs, lives, and stories of my 163 ninth and tenth graders, and I knew the best thing I could do for myself was to stop and just "be" for a moment, before re-engaging with those kids I loved. Over time, mindfulness is becoming more of a way of being as I learn to infuse lots of mini-practices into my days-not just when I wake or before I sleep.

For example, this Three-Minute De-Stressor for Teachers can be incorporated throughout the day-whether you are with your students, pausing between classes, or chatting with a colleague. Simply stand, find the center of gravity in your abdomen (two inches below your navel and about an inch into your body), and focus on this point while feeling your feet solidly on the ground.

There are also a number of different breath practices you can try- box or square breathing or counting breaths, for example. It's particularly important to simply practice extending the outbreath (activating your parasympathetic or "rest and digest" nervous system) more than the inbreath (your sympathetic "fight or flight" nervous system) to rebalance.

And if you're gearing up for a difficult conversation with a parent or facing a challenging staff meeting, you can draw on this brief practice for relaxing tense and anxious bodies: The CALM Reminder. Mindfulness researchers Chris Willard and Randye Semple prompt us to check in with our chest (C), arms (A), legs (L), and mouth (M)-first noticing sensations in those areas, and then tensing and relaxing each set of muscles, in sequence.

Although we face a time of great uncertainty and a challenging mélange of emotions, we can draw on multiple tools to help us pause, be with those emotions, and redirect them. If we practice taking healthy "timeouts" on our own, we are more likely to model and share these rituals with our students, colleagues, and family members. Let's commit to practicing self-care each day so that we can move forward together with a greater sense of ease, purpose, and kindness.

Greater Good wants to know: Do you think this article will influence your opinions or behavior?

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How Teachers Can Navigate Difficult Emotions During School Closures

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The COVID-19 crisis is forcing educational professionals across the globe to take a collective breath. What's next? Whether we're actively planning online lessons from our homes or bingeing more Netflix movies than we had ever anticipated, we're faced with so many unknowns-and more time to sit with our emotions.

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Why Teens May Never Be the Same After Pandamic

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Why Teens May Never Be the Same After Pandamic

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why teens may never be the same after the pandemic - cnn

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Why teens may never be the same after the pandemic

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As everyone settles into new routines inside, at home, teens are feeling angry, anxious and reticent. Their identities are fracturing in isolation, and the people who love them, teach them and study them fear they'll wear the effects of the pandemic for years to come.

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Strategies to manage anxiety for adults

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Mental Health & Well-being During COVID-19

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Mental Health & Well-being During COVID-19