Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) –
Information for Parents
Last revised/updated 8:49 a.m., July 31, 2020
July 30, Ontario Releases Plan for Safe Reopening of Schools in September
June 1, COVID-19 Guidance: Summer Day Camps
April 29, Immunization of Students during COVID-19
Click to learn more about…
Positive Parenting during COVID-19
Illness, Health and Children
Mental Health Support for Parents, Children and Youth
Co-parenting during COVID-19
Pregnancy, Postpartum and Infant Feeding
Activities and Learning Opportunities
Financial Support for Families
Couple/Parent Tips
Positive Parenting during COVID-19
- Virtual Events:
- August 11, 1-2:30 pm, Emotion Regulation and Resiliency in the time of COVID-19, Register early, HSK
- 14 NEW (June 8, 2020) Tips Sheets for Parents, WHO
- 24/7 Parenting Resources in 90 different languages, Parenting for Lifelong Health
- 24/7 The Working Parent Podcasts, The Psychology Foundation of Canada
- Are Family Routines Important? Healthy Families BC
- Child Development and COVID-19, Center on the Developing Child
- Communication Strategies, (book review on youtube)
- COVIDwithKIDS, (Toolkit of structure, activities and support), Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists in Toronto
- COVID-19 Resources for children, youth, parents and professionals, The Psychology Foundation of Canada
- Daily Tips for Supporting Families, ChildMind Institute
- Dads and Coronavirus: How to Talk with your Family, Dad Central
- Dad Mode vs Work Mode, Dad Central
- How to Talk to Your Child About COVID-19, About Kids Health
- How You and Your Kids Can De-Stress, PBS Kids
- Keep Connected, (parenting 0 – 18 year olds) Search Institute
- Learning Disabilities at Home, LDAO
- My COVID Disability Q, (Q and A Hub for Canadian Families with Disabilities), CanChild/Kids Brain Health/Child Bright Networks
- Ontario Parent Survey, (parents of children 0-17 years of age), McMaster University
- Parenting Tips, Unicef
- Parenting Resources, Canadian Paediatric Society
- Parenting Right Now is Really Hard, Psychology Today
- PCFC- Virtual Program Schedule (activities and parenting classes)
- Positive Discipline in Everyday Parenting (interactive resources and free book download)
- Positive Discipline in Everyday Parenting Workshops:
- Positive Discipline Workshop 1, Develop Long Term Goals and a Positive Home Environment
- Positive Discipline Workshop 2, Understanding How Children Think and Feel
- Positive Discipline Workshop 3, Problem Solving – Bedtime, Tantrums and Listening
- Positive Discipline Workshop 4, Responding with Positive Discipline
- Resilience and COVID-19, Reaching In Reaching Out
- Six Healthy Parenting Tip Sheets, WHO*
- Six Ways that Parents can Support their Kids, WHO
- Sleep Tips and Blog, Millpond Children’s Sleep Clinic
- Talking to Children About the Pandemic, Ministry of Health
- Teens & COVID-19: Challenges and Opportunities, AAP
- Triple P Parenting (one-on-one sessions available), PCFC
- Tutor Support (free tutor program for kids in grade 1-12), Trent University
- WE GOT THIS: Parenting Support (video episodes by Dr. Jean Clinton and Ann Douglas)
Illness, Health and Children
- Caring for a Child with COVID-19 at home, PHAC
- Children are Not at Higher Risk, CDC
- Enhanced 18-Month Well-Baby Visit,
- Frequently Asked Questions About Your Child, Canadian Paediatric Society
- Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome, City News and Ministry of Ontario
- See the Doctor, (virtual doctor), Ontario Virtual Care Clinic
Mental Health Support for Parents, Children and Youth
- 30-3-30 Approach, Looking After Your Mental Well-Being, Learn 4 Mental health
- Big White Wall (peer-to-peer support for mental health), Centre for Social Innovation
- Bounce Back (guided self-help program for ages 15 and up), CMHA
- Canadian Mental Health Association, CMHA
- COVID-19 Resources for Youth and Students, Government of Canada
- Gratitude Can Help You Through Hard Times, UC Berkeley
- How to Support Your Child’s Mental Health During the Pandemic, School Mental Health Ontario
- Kids Help Phone 24/7, (text, call, online info, children and youth)
- Mental Health Frequently Asked Questions, CAMH
- Mental and Physical Wellness, CMHA
- Sheltering in Place: An Emotional Rollercoaster, Zero to Three
- Students: How to Care for Your Mental Health, School Mental Health Ontario
- Wellness Together Canada (emotional and mental health support), Government of Canada
- Youth Mental Health Resource Hub, Jack.org
Co-parenting during COVID-19
- Becoming a Divorced Father is an Opportunity, The Good Men Project
- Help for Separated and Divorced Parents – Part 1
- Help for Separated and Divorced Parents – Part 2
- Parents Should Respect Custody Agreements, Ontario Superior Court of Justice
- Separation and Divorce, CMHA
- Ten Steps to Co-parent During COVID-19, Psychology Today
Pregnancy, Postpartum and Infant Feeding
- Breastfeeding Help, PPH
- Breastfeeding and COVID-19, Best Start, Health Nexus
- Breastfeeding Matters (your guide to breastfeeding), Best Start
- Childbirth, Pregnancy and Caring for Newborns, PHAC
- COVID-19 Infant Feeding Resources, SafelyFed Canada
- COVID-19 Mothers Study, (for moms with babies over one month of age), Harvard Medical School
- Feeding your Baby in an Emergency, PPH
- Feeding your Baby: 6 months to 1 year, PPH
- Infant Hearing (testing and hearing milestones), Infant Hearing Program
- Managing Postpartum Depression during COVID-19
- New baby, and you have COVID-19, Pregnancy to Parenting
- Postpartum Depression Online Workshop for New Moms, McMaster University Researcher Ryan Van Lieshout
- Pregnancy and COVID-19, Unicef
- Q & A on Pregnancy, Childbirth and Breastfeeding, WHO
- Using Infant Formula, PPH
Activities and Learning Opportunities
- Active at Home, Active for Life
- All About Birds, The Cornell Lab
- At Home Activity Guide for Birth to Three Years of Age, Zero to Three
- Board Games, (print, play, modify original games), Asmodee
- Books, Songs and Rhymes, KidTalk
- Camp Kawartha Activity Resources, Camp Kawartha
- Canadian Canoe Museum From Home, (printables, activities, resources and more)
- Cooking with Kids, Unlock Food
- Coronavirus: A Book for Children, (free download), published by Nosy Crow
- Coronavirus Indigenous Story for Children, (free download), Cree Health
- COVIBOOK, a book for children in many languages, Mindheart
- COVID-19 Fact Sheets (30 languages), Harvard Health Publishing and Health Literacy Project
- Everybody Worries (a book for young children)
- Executive Function Activities from Infancy to Adolescence, Center on the Developing Child
- Guess the Feeling Game, Daniel Tiger
- Healthy Eating Tips, Dietitians of Canada
- How to Deal with Emotions you Feel, Daniel Tiger video
- Learn at Home in Multiple Languages, Ministry of Ontario
- Learning to Play and Playing to Learn, (3 – 5 years of age), Best Start
- Learn with Lego, Children’s Treatment Centre of Chatham-Kent
- Library Activities from Home, Local Libraries
- My Hero is You, (free storybook for children on COVID-19, in multiple languages)
- Nature Activity Ideas by Age, Pathway to Stewardship (please modify ideas for physical distancing)
- Play at Home: Virtual Program Schedule, PCFC
- Play Ideas for Parents at Home with Kids, Children First
- Read the World, (authors read their books) WHO and Unicef
- Rediscover Play (podcast), Active for Life
- Sesame Street and Naming Feelings, Sesame Street
- Science at Home, Science North
- Science at Home, Ontario Science Centre
- Sports Camp (virtual sports activities for all ages), True North Sports Camp
- Stay Active at Home, Participaction
- Stories (listen to books for free), Audible
- Storytelling (3 ways to teach kids how to tell stories),
- Thank you from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
- Together, Apart: Life during the Coronavirus (storybook for children), proceeds to CHEO
- Tutor Support (free tutor program for kids in grade 1-12), Trent University
- Virtual Resources (from Simcoe County)
- Virtual Tours of Museums, Zoos and Theme Parks
- Virtual Tours from NASA
- Weekly Themed Activities (virtual and/or curbside pickup), Peterborough Public Library
- YMCA Virtual Gym Class, YMCA
- You’re the Chef, Visual Recipe Collection, PPH
- Your Zoo to You (daily virtual events), Toronto Zoo,
Financial Support for Families
- Budgeting Tips for Families, Parenting for Lifelong Learning
- Budget Planner (online interactive tool), Government of Canada
- Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), Government of Canada
- Child Care for Essential Workers in Ontario, City of Peterborough
- Child Cares will not charge fees, Ministry of Ontario
- Emergency Financial Support, Peterborough City and County
- Support for Families with Children 0-21 years of age, Ministry of Ontario
Couple/Parent Tips
- Build a Healthy Relationship, Help Guide International
- Dealing with Uncertainty, Help Guide International
- How to Nurture Relationships When You’re at Home Longer, Team Goodnet
- Tips for Couples in Self-isolation Together
*Acronyms
AAP = American Academy of Pediatrics
CAMH = Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
CDC = Centres for Disease Control and Prevention
CHEO = Childrens Hospital of Eastern Ontario
CMHA = Canadian Mental Health Association
CPS = Canadian Paediatric Society
HSK = The Hospital for Sick Children
LDAO = Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario
PCFC = Peterborough Child & Family Centres
PHAC = Public Health Agency of Canada
PPH, Peterborough Public Health
WHO = World Health Organization