This page was created to support families at our 115 Partner Schools by connecting them with trusted resources and information throughout the various phases of the pandemic, and now as our children return to school. We continually update this resource page with trusted resources, expert advice and informative articles. For instructions to view this page in Spanish, click on en Español.
Families Connected Resources
Videos - Expert advice for parents
NEW VIDEO - In a departure from the usual discussions on the negative impacts of the pandemic, Moe Gelbart, Ph.D. explains some positive takeaways and lessons that we have learned during this time in the quest to achieve social emotional wellness.
Moe Gelbart, Ph.D. offers insight and strategy to support our children’s mental health as they return to school during this second of three SBFC presentations provided in partnership with the Manhattan Beach Unified School District.
Moe Gelbart, Ph.D. explains ways that parents can help when their teens are struggling with stress and anxiety during this final SBFC presentation provided in partnership with the Manhattan Beach Unified School District..
Featured SBFC parent & teen blogs
Leah Niehaus, LCSW
Re-entry Parenting Tips by Leah Niehaus, LCSW
COVID Goals: Good Enough is Enough by Jill Millstein
Mindsight is 2020: A Southbay Mom’s Reflection (Part III of III) by Karalyn Honea
Summer in the South Bay - According to Mom (Part II of III) by Karalyn Honea
Maintaining Sanity During Safer at Home: A South Bay Mom’s Perspective (Part I of III) by Karalyn Honea
From Grumpiness to Gratitude: Ways to Find Connection by Carol Adler
Related resources for parents and guardians
Resources for teens
Curated Gallery of Resources
Please note that in the following sections, clicking on images will enlarge them, clicking on gray or blue buttons will take you to a different page in the Families Connected website and clicking on links will take you out of the Families Connected website and to the online resource indicated. When visiting other websites, the Families Connected website will remain open in your browser.
Back to school social-emotional wellness support and insight
Esquire.com
“My Freshman are More Like Seventh Graders”: Inside the Omicron Classroom (Esquire.com)
The COVID Backslide: How Parents Can Cope, According to Experts (Care.com)
Kids are Back in School — and Struggling with Mental Health Issues (NPR)
Dealing with Uncertainty in the Face of Omicron (Greater Mind Institute)
Managing Your Own Anxiety During School Re-openings (Child Mind Institute, en espanol)
Back to School Anxiety During COVID (Child Mind Institute, en espanol)
Supporting Your Child’s Mental Health During COVID-19 School Returns (UNICEF)
6 Ways to Cope with School Anxiety After Coronavirus (PSYCOM)
How to Protect Teens' Mental Health as School Year Begins Amid Pandemic (ABC)
Back to School During Covid-19 (SAMHSA)
Stumbling Into the Next Stage of Your Pandemic Life (Greater Good Science Center)
After the Worst School Year Ever, Here's What Students Want Most (Mashable)
Mental Health Toll from Isolation Affecting Kids on Reentry (AP News)
Tips and tools for social-emotional wellness and self-care
Meditations and sleep and movement exercises (Headspace/LA County, en espanol)
Apps to help with mental health and meditation apps - age appropriate lists (Commonsense Media)
Calm offers soothing meditations (Calm)
How to Help Children Build Resilience in Uncertain Times (American Academy of Pediatricians)
A Psychiatrist’s Tips for Calming Your Pandemic Stress (Greater Good Science Center)
How to Avoid Passing Anxiety on to Your Kid (Child Mind Institute, en espanol)
Self-Care In the Time of Coronavirus (Child Mind Institute, en espanol)
Helping Kids Thrive in Uncertain Times (Greater Good Science Center)
What to Do (and Not) Do When Your Children Are Anxious (Child Mind Institute)
Supporting Kids During the Coronavirus (Child Mind Institute, en espanol)
Self-Compassion is Key to Overcoming Pandemic Fatigue (Stanford Medicine)
Helpful learning resources throughout the school year
Wide Open Schools consolidates Learning experiences from 25 organizations.
PBS Learning Media offers Pre K-12 online library of trusted, quality, curated resources.
PBS Kids is a great resource for kids ages 2 - 8.
Common Sense Media is a great source for educational apps games and websites and online activities for kids at home .
Open Culture offers 200 free kids educational resources: video lessons, apps, books, websites & more.
We Are Teachers has 350+ Amazing Online Learning Resources for teachers and parents
Sources for accurate information and prevention
For accurate information about the spread of the virus and public advisories, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (the CDC) for updates and FAQs.
The LA County Department of Public Health provides news of the disease, resources and guidelines regarding protective measures.
Visit Beach Cities Health District’s Coronavirus page for downloadable information guides, resources and referrals.
All of the health agencies above recommend that the general public wear non-medical cloth face coverings when interacting with others while obtaining essential supplies and services.
Families Connected Resource for Traumatic Events
Featured video - traumatic events communication strategies and insight for parents
Anna Pirkl, M.A., MFT, ATR, LAADC shares tips for coping with traumatic events.
Anna Pirkl, M.A., MFT, ATR, LAADC shares tips for parenting through adversity.
Tips for parents in handling tragic events
Limit their exposure to breaking news.
Pick a quiet moment and start the conversation by asking what kids have heard and how they're feeling.
Give facts and context: let kids know that most scary news events are rare.
When they ask why something happened, avoid labels like "bad guys."
Encourage kids to process the story through play, art, or even video.
Seek out help from your school and community resources.
Curated National Resources for Traumatic Events
National articles
Talking with Your Children About Tragic Events (The Dougy Center)
Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers (National Association of School Psychologists)
Explaining the News to Our Kids (Common Sense Media)
How to Talk to Kids About Violence, Crime, and War (Common Sense Media)
Helping Your Children Manage Distress in the Aftermath of a Shooting (American Psychological Association)
What Parents Can Do to Aid Scared Kids in Processing Grief and Fear in a Healthy Way (Child Mind)
Nine Tips for Talking to Kids About Trauma (Greater Good Science Center)
Recommended national resources and guides
We highly recommend the American Psychological Association's website for timely content that can help us as parents talk with our children about tragedy and manage distress.
The Anti-Defamation League offers Table Talk: Family Conversations About Current Events, among other helpful resources.
This outstanding PDF from SAMHSA provides parents, caregivers and teachers tips for talking with and helping children and youth cope after a disaster or traumatic event. It is broken out in age ranges 0-5 and 6-19. Also visit this link for helpful hotlines and national resources.
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network resource page provides visitors with a list of catastrophic mass violence resources and helpful insight for parents and caregivers.
Access Child Mind Institute’s free downloadable trauma resources on this site and a resource page entitled Responding to Traumatic Events.
For More Youth Wellness Resources, Visit:
For South Bay parents and caregivers
Go to South Bay Families Connected for educational events, support groups, parent and teen blogs, the SBFC monthly parent e-newsletter, and more.
For parents and caregivers in the U.S.A.
Visit the Families Connected landing page for non-region-specific, free youth wellness online resources.