Hearing about the pandemic can create anxieties in children. Plus, many families are now cooped up together all day. We have some general resources for you, plus faith-related resources:
o Godly Play story videos with suggested questions and activities: “The Faces of Easter” is told in three videos and leads us from the birth of Jesus, through his life, death and resurrection. In each one, children are encouraged to find items at home to help to tell the story. In the last video, children are also invited to do their work, which is a response to the story. Our children haven’t been introduced to that term but their work is how they take time to reflect and respond to the story they have heard. This could be retelling the story, writing, using art materials, or even just thinking about what they have heard. (To receive a link to the videos, please contact the church office.)
o Talking to your children about Covid-19: This article has some good tips for talking to kids of all ages. Additionally, the health updates from Dr. Deena Hinshaw can be helpful for older kids, either the portions of the video where she is speaking, or reading the transcripts together. For kids who do better with concrete information, this is a good source.
o Breath Prayers (from Pastor Eileen): This might be a great time to teach and learn breath prayers. I know that my child has had lots of questions and some increased anxiety—breath prayers are a great way to help quiet some of that anxiety and connect with God. Here is a link that might be helpful if this is something you would like to explore.
