Letter from the President/CEO

...At the Heart of Dealing with a Variety of Emotions

There's no good term for this whole situation, is there? "New reality." "Unprecedented times." "Global pandemic." They all feel so overused and ill-fitting. I have personally tried to move more towards acceptance, gratitude and a bit of optimism, so I started referring to it as the "Wild Adventure," but that doesn't really take the somber reality into account either. 

It's hard to name something that has changed things so dramatically and been difficult for all of us in so many ways. For many of us, stress and anxiety fill our lives as we deal with an uncertain future, and so many of our feelings are heightened as we face new and different challenges each day. We've heard from many parents who are trying to help their children manage all of these feelings on top of their own. It's affecting everyone - even 23-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps has struggled with overwhelm and uncertainty as described in a recent interview with ESPN.

For those of us who already face screen time challenges, the struggle has magnified as everything from school to connecting with friends and family now takes place on screens. "Zoom fatigue" has become another new catchphrase as we all try to manage the hours of work, socializing and volunteering on screens. It's difficult to carve out the time and space to process the emotions we are feeling. The experts at the Child Mind Institute prepared some tips to help all of us set expectations, support the children in our lives, and most importantly, cut ourselves some slack. Compassion certainly is key right now for so many things - especially this! Read more in Screen Time During the Coronavirus Crisis.

At the same time, this crisis has also shown us how resilient we can be. Over the past two months, it has been incredible to witness our organization pivot and swiftly navigate safety and logistical concerns so that we could continue to help families. So many community members have reached out to ask how they can help, and there are examples of kindness in our community everywhere we turn!

Since it's Mental Health Month, what better time to highlight a few of the many resources available to help you and your families as you are feeling anxious, frustrated, overwhelmed, guilty, lonely or any other emotions - you are certainly not alone!

• Resilient Little Hearts shares 10 principles to help you navigate the crisis and bring your family closer together in their Family Crisis Guide. It relates to the current crisis, but also to any other challenge you may have to navigate.

• Scholastic and the Yale Child Study Center teamed up a leading child development expert to help children, families, and educators with First Aid for Feelings: A Workbook to Help Kids Cope During the Coronavirus Pandemic - a downloadable workbook available in English, Spanish, and French.

• Action for Healthy Kids helps you focus on your children's and family's mental health with guidance on creating a Family Self-Care Plan or a Calm Down Corner.

• If you know a teenager who is struggling to deal with the disappointment of cancelled events, Greater Good Magazine's How to Help Teens Handle the Loss of Proms and Graduations gives suggestions to help them process these feelings.

• Finally, the LA County Department of Mental Health has partnered with Headspace to offer free subscriptions to all LA County residents throughout 2020 for their mindfulness and sleep content, mini exercises and more. Click here for complete details.

Click here to find all these resources and more and click here for general resources related to screen time and mental health.

However you describe this challenging time, I hope you find the time and space to look through helpful resources like these, feel all the emotions that are coming up, ask for help if you need it, and remember to take it easy on yourself.

Sara Myers
President/CEO