How to Help Kids Navigate Strong Emotions with Art

Celebrate kindness in all its forms!

These top ten titles inspire children to be kind to themselves, to others and to our planet.

This empathy-building activity is from the Global Kids activity deck, written by Homa Sabet Tavangar and illustrated by Sophie Fatus.

Ubuntu is an important idea in South Africa. The word comes from the Zulu language and refers to the bond that connects all people.

It is often translated as, “I am because we are.” The practice of Ubuntu means caring about the needs of others by being kind, helpful and generous. Ubuntu reminds us that we are all connected!

From a father and son who cross the Mexico-US border to a haiku story told by a father-son duo, our top picks celebrate father figures and other valuable family relationships.

Below is a guest blog post by Dr. Sarah Mitchell, founder of Helping Babies Sleep. Since 2013, she has helped thousands of parents teach their little ones to sleep and parent confidently day and night. In this blog post, she gives caregivers tips on how to incorporate books into bedtime.

Below is a post from Dr. Paula Jackson. Paula has lived in several countries around the globe, both as a child and as an adult, and has spent the past 15 years working for multilateral institutions and schools around the world with a focus on social entrepreneurship and global citizenship. Outside of education, she is a passionate baker and cook, and strongly believes in the power of food to connect. Paula has recently joined our team at Barefoot Books as Director of Global Citizenship.

Autumn usually brings about a change of pace along with the change of the seasons.

At this time of year, daily events can easily become fertile ground for epic battles of will: getting dressed and out of the house, drop-off at daycare or school, toileting, dinnertime and bedtime.

Each of these daily events represents some kind of transition — and when they are experiencing larger changes in their lives (new classroom, new bed, potty training, change in caregiver), children can feel an increased need for control around these smaller daily transitions.

Predictable routines are a parent’s best friend this time of year; they help children feel safe, reassuring them that some things will always stay the same in the face of any large or small life transition.

Integrating reading routines into your day can make sensitive transitions easier. Here are some suggestions:

There's no replacement for kids getting together in person. But anything that gets kids actively thinking about their friends can help them feel less lonely.

For families whose kids are socially isolating, this has been one long summer . . . and it looks like the autumn could be more of the same. The loneliness many kids are feeling is top of mind for parentsin the forefront of parents' minds as we face the potential of remote schooling and many more months of separation from friends and family.