Dear Families,

The stress and anxiety of the COVID-19 outbreak is impacting families in various ways, and these resources can help you and your family stay safe and calm during this challenging, and uncertain time.

With schools closing, it’s also important to consider how you can keep your children who are old enough to stay home alone safe while you’re working. Please see the articles below that can help you discuss the COVID-19 outbreak with your children based on their age, and set rules and limits.

Also, when adjusting the environment for their increased safety, please don’t forget to secure alcohol, tobacco, prescription and over-the-counter medication, and firearms. Even well-behaved children make impulsive decisions based on natural curiosities that get them into trouble when bored.

Stay well!
CT Suicide Advisory Board

• Taking Care of Your Mental Health in the Face of Uncertainty
• Home Alone: How to Keep Your Kids Safe (and out of trouble) When You’re at Work
• Talking to Children About COVID-19: A Parent Resource
• CT Children’s Medical Center Coronavirus FAQs
• Hartford Healthcare Coronavirus/COVID-19

For the latest information about Connecticut, call 211, text CTCOVID to 898211 or visit ct.gov/coronavirus

Gizmo’s Pawesome Guide to Mental Health is a great free resource to help you and your kids with your sad, mad and worried feelings during this tough time. And, this link has fun activities you and your kids can do alone or together inside and outside. The online book is here in English or Spanish, and you can order free print copies too. Note: free quantities are limited to a max of 4 outside CT.

Listen to this five minute story about Connecticut’s effort to create and implement an upstream suicide prevention curriculum in elementary schools. Featuring Gizmo the therapy dog, Gizmo’s Pawesome Guide to Mental Health is helping elementary school staff effectively teach children about mental health, life skills development, and social connectedness.