Covid Kids

Covid Kids is a reassuring story written by two child psychologists, intended to be read by parents or teachers to young children, to help them to sort out their feelings as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. It explores physical distancing from grandparents, online learning, changes in daily routine, parental job loss, worry about a mom's job as a nurse, loss of patience as a result of home quarantine, and the wearing of masks. On a positive note, Joy's story depicts a child who learns to identify her feelings, psychologically connect to her grandparents and teacher despite physical distance, engage in service projects for her community, and soothe herself and family members when anxious. At the end of the book, there is a parent's guide to promote reflection on how young children process threats and anxiety and what behaviors help to reassure and comfort them.

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. As the family slows its pace, a wonderful benefit of their increased time together is that the child learns more about her parents' jobs, how to help her community, how to bond more with her older sibling, and how to connect with her grandparents psychologically, despite social distancing. The book ends by asking children to draw a picture of how they are learning to cope with COVID-19 and talk about their drawings. That artwork will be compiled and ultimately displayed on our covidkidsbook.net website.

About the Authors Dr. Nanci Monaco graduated from Emma Willard and Union College, with a BS in Psychology. She earned her PhD in Counseling and Educational Psychology from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She currently teaches child development at SUNY Buffalo State, as an Associate Professor, in the School of Education. She has taught in the State University of New York system since 1984. She has been a licensed psychologist in private practice for 21 years. Dr. Monaco is the SUNY Buffalo State DASA Anti-Bullying Training Coordinator, a New York State Child Abuse and Neglect Training Provider, and a 2012 Anne Frank Fellow, conducting research on resiliency after trauma through the Buffalo State Resilience Project. Since 9/11, she has been actively involved in researching psychological trauma following disasters, assisting families displaced by tornados, hurricanes, and wild fires. She was named Mental Health Professional of the Year by the Interfaith Coalition of Churches and Temples for her work following Hurricane Katrina. She is a Past President of the Psychological Association of Western New York, winner of the New York State Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching (1990), and a recipient of the President's Award for Excellence in Teaching (2008). Dr. Monaco received a SUNY Conversations in the Disciplines Grant to study outcomes for first responders after 9/11. She served as a psychologist on a law guardian panel in New York and was previously a psychologist on a Child Protection Team in Orlando. She has assisted adult victims of child sexual abuse by clergy in preparing claims under the New York State Child Victims Act of 2019. She has presented with 27 undergraduate students and multiple graduate students at numerous state, national, and international conferences focusing on trauma and resilience. Dr. Monaco can be contacted at monaconm@buffalostate.edu.