Ten Kids' Books Recommended by Psychologists 2021
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10 Kids' Books Recommended by Psychologists 2021
Sara Darnell | May 15, 2021
Psychologists everywhere have noticed an uptick in children experiencing anxiety, stress, confusion, and other issues that have come as a result of 2020. We should note that these are completely normal things for children to experience, but what is the best way to work through these feelings? Many psychologists have turned to children's books to teach young readers how to deal with their emotions. Here’s a list of the books that these psychologists are recommending to children:
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0 Kids Books Psychologists Recommend in 2021
Sara Darnell | May 15, 2021
Psychologists everywhere have noticed an uptick in children experiencing anxiety, stress, confusion, and other issues that have come as a result of 2020. We should note that these are completely normal things for children to experience, but what is the best way to work through these feelings? Many psychologists have turned to children's books to teach young readers how to deal with their emotions. Here’s a list of the books that these psychologists are recommending to children:
A Mother’s Story about how SEL affected her son’s behavior:
I’m sorry, but until Ryan improves his behavior, he’s not welcome back into our house…” the mother of my 6-year-old’s best friend told me…
This mortifying moment one year ago was when I realized the absolute necessity of teaching my son how to control his emotions.
Let me tell you exactly what happened and how I was able to completely turn around my son’s terrible behavior:
Ryan has always been a great kid, but he has trouble controlling his emotions and listening to adults…
Ryan’s main issue was that if he felt any sort of anger or frustration, he would immediately blame it on the adult around him and disobey them.
So whenever I dropped Ryan of at school or at a friend’s house, I always feared that he would have a huge temper tantrum and take it out on others.
And this happened a couple times… Not only did he yell at some of his teachers, but also at some of the moms of his friends!
I tried what felt like EVERYTHING… I looked online for solutions, asked his teacher for resources, and even went to our Pediatrician looking for answers…
Ryan’s behavior was getting worse and worse, and I felt like nothing I did was making a change!
And one day Ryan threw his worst tantrum yet… He took it out on the mother of his best friend!
Not only did Ryan scream at this poor woman, but he also broke an expensive vase during his tantrum!
The mother told me that until I could fix Ryan’s behavior, he wouldn’t be allowed back at their house…
I’ve never been more embarrassed and frustrated in my life.
I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact they my young 6-year-old son was behaving in such a way…
I decided to talk with a children’s psychologist to seek answers.
The psychologist met with Ryan for an hour and then talked to me.
He told me how great of kid Ryan is… the first time I had heard that in years…
The psychologist said that Ryan just needs help understanding and controlling his emotions.
He said that Ryan gets confused and frustrated to the point that he reaches his fight-or-flight instincts and takes it out on those around him.
The psychologist recommended 10 children’s books to help Ryan learn how to control his emotions and act with more compassion.
I thought to myself, “There’s no way that stupid kids books will change my son’s behavior…”
But I bought them anyway because I was so desperate.
Ryan and I read one book every night and had a long conversation about how was can practice what the book taught us.
To my surprise, Ryan started to make changes in his behavior!
After reading just the 3rd book he started telling me about his feelings!
And by the 5th book he told me he wanted to apologize to the mother of his best friend!
I couldn’t believe that these books were turning my son’s behavior around – I could tell that Ryan was making a HUGE effort to show me he could control his emotions.
After reading all 10 books with him, I felt it was time to send Ryan back to his best friend’s house… and I felt confident he would be able to control himself!
When I went back to pick Ryan up, I talked with the mother and she told me how great Ryan’s behavior was! She said that it’s like he was a completely different kid.
It brought tears of joy to see my son happy and in control of his emotions…
Ryan hasn’t had any emotional outbursts since!
He seems so much more confident knowing how to deal with unfamiliar feelings.
I’m SO thankful to have been given a list of these 10 books… they changed my son’s life when it seemed like nothing could!
Please use my experience as a reminder that no child is a bad kid, but that we simply need to work with our unique children to foster their emotional growth!”
Kids’ Books Psychologists Recommend in 2021 Sara Darnell | May 15, 2021
Psychologists everywhere have noticed an uptick in children experiencing anxiety, stress, confusion, and other issues that have come as a result of 2020. We should note that these are completely normal things for children to experience, but what is the best way to work through these feelings? Many psychologists have turned to children's books to teach young readers how to deal with their emotions. Here’s a list of the books that these psychologists are recommending to children:
Psychologist's say that the most important thing we can do for our children is let them know they are loved, especially when the world around them seems to be falling apart.
This beautifully written book will help your child understand the unconditional amount of love you have for them.
This is a great book for getting back to what really matters.
In the second book of her Right Now series, Dr. Daniela Owen, Ph.D., explains the choice that we all have when we face situations that may make us anxious or fearful. This book is perfect for the uncertain times we face today and can be very effective in teaching children how to deal with their fears.
A great resource for dealing with frustrated children, this book teaches that you don't have to yell and throw a tantrum to get what you want. This book will help your child understand how to communicate what they want in the proper way!
Zen Pig might just be the cutest way to help your child learn how to focus their emotions when they are stressed out or anxious. Zen Pig teaches children the value of gratitude, mindfulness, and compassion in a way that's easy for them to understand. It's a perfect book for helping your little reader calm down, and children LOVE this award-winning series!
A huge part of helping children feel better is helping them build their self-confidence. This book is written to do exactly that! Follow Rija the lemur's adventure through the Madagascar forest and learn about the importance of self-confidence! When Rija discovers 4 "secret words," she realizes that she can do anything she puts her mind to.
This book has been known to help pull young children out of sad feelings! The hilarious story within not only helps children learn the alphabet, but also teaches us about being friends with each other and having compassion! Your little one is sure to love the fun ride this story takes them on.
This fun, rhyming book is great for children who are beginning to make friendships and understand what it means to care for someone else. Psychologists often recommend it as a resource when helping socialize children. It focuses on values such as compassion, empathy, and kindness.
Fiona Flamingo is recommended by psychologists to help children understand and manage their feelings. This colorfully illustrated book teaches that it's ok if you don't understand your emotions and it's ok to be scared, angry, and sad at times. It's a great resource for helping children see that being unique should not be looked down upon.
In the third book of her Right Now series, Dr. Daniela Owen, Ph.D. helps children learn what it means to be kind and aware of other people. This book is a guide for children to help them understand why being aware is important, and what actions they can practice to show compassion.
This book is a mindfully written self-help guide to aid children in dealing with stress and anxiety, by uncovering their emotions and following a simple calming routine. Dr. Daniela Owen, Ph.D. is a clinical child psychologist in the San Francisco Bay Area. She specializes in using evidence-based treatments to help with managing anxiety, worry, anger, and low mood.
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