Helpful Links

Abuse
*If you have concerns about a child, elderly, or disabled person being abused you need to report your concerns to CPS. This can be done anonymously on the phone or on their website. Always report if you have serious suspicions of abuse, it is better to be wrong than to risk someone being abused.*

CrimeStoppers offers child abuse prevention Tips.

Texas Department of Family and Protective Services offers several resources in recognizing abuse, reporting abuse, and safety resources.

The Thread Alliance offers resources on a local, state, and national level for prevention, intervention, and treatment in child abuse situations. 

Domestic Violence:
*If you are a victim or witness to domestic violence, call 911 immediately. Below are also resources to help victims in recovery.*

Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse (AVDA) is a local resource that provides free legal representation to all victims of domestic violence in Harris and Fort Bend Counties. They also offer counseling services and support groups.

Houston Area Women’s Center (HAWC) provides resources for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault as well as resources for shelter, 24 hour hotlines, counseling, advocacy, children’s court services and community education on violence prevention.

Resources and Referrals for Victims of Domestic Violence in Houston (from KHOU) offers a list of local resources for victims of domestic violence.

The Houston Bar Association offers a list of local resources for Domestic Violence Services.

Sexual Violence
*If you have been a victim of sexual violence or suspect sexual violence, immediately go to the emergency room for medical assistance. If you cannot get to an ER, call 911 for assistance.* 

American Psychological Association offers a definition of sexual abuse, what you can do, and how to get help.

Center for Family Justice offers different definitions of sexual violence, signs of sexual assault, how you can get help, and how to help a victim.

Mothers of Sexually Abused Children offers a wealth of books for parents and for children and adolescents about sexual abuse, recovery, safety, prevention, and how parents can cope with their child’s abuse.

The Children’s Assessment Center of Houston is the local organization that does counseling assessments of children who are suspected of being sexually assaulted or abused. They also provide tips for protecting your child, books to help parents speak to children, and sexual abuse facts.

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network offers information on the effects, interventions and resources on child sexual abuse.

Due to the sensitive nature of this topic, book recommendations will be made on an as needed basis to make sure appropriate books will be recommended as to not further traumatize a child or their family.

Al-Anon Family is a resource for those struggling with someone else’s drinking addiction. AlaTeen has a live chat for students 13-18 who are affected by someone’s drinking to share their experiences. AlaTeen is a place to support and encourage peers who are dealing with someone else’s drinking problems and learn about the 12 steps. AlaTeen is only a support group and does not take the place of intensive therapy nor is it for Teens who are struggling with addiction of their own.

Alcoholics Anonymous is a resource for those seeking help with alcohol addiction.

Child Mind Institute provides articles to help parents with understanding and communicating about a child’s safety and sobriety.

Help is a resource that educates on drug addiction, including adderall addiction, and alcohol addiction. It features a comprehensive list of Texas rehab facilities.
 

NIH: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism provides resources and educates on alcohol abuse and addiction.
 

SAMHSA: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration features a free 24/7 helpline, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members of those who are struggling with addiction or mental health concerns.
 

Smart Recovery is a science and evidence based support group for addiction and recovery. There are local support groups and online meetings. Groups meet on a variety of addiction concerns: alcohol, drugs, eating, gambling, etc.

Recommended Reading for Family Members
Addict in the Family: Stories of Hope, Loss, and Recovery
Addict in the House: A No-Nonsense Guide Through Addiction and Recovery
AlaTeen: Hope for Children of Alcoholics
Beyond Addiction: How Science and Kindness Help People Change
Courage to Be Me: Living With Alcoholism
Don’t Let Your Kids Kill You: A Guide for Parents of Drug and Alcohol Addicted Children
Everything Changes: Help for Families of Newly Recovering Addicts
For Teenagers Living With a Parent Who Abuses Alcohol and Drugs
Path to Recovery: Al-Anon’s Steps, Traditions, and Concepts

Identifying Anxiety

• While kids feel anxiety, they often don’t have the emotional awareness and/or vocabulary to recognize and convey those feelings. Here are 15 Things Kids or Teens Say That Could Mean ‘I’m Anxious’ - where the words come from and how you can respond to them. When we understand a child’s true emotion, we can start to give them the safety and comfort to help them make sense of what they are experiencing

• Anxiety in children can often look like anger, tantrums, or meltdowns. The same part of the brain that has the very important job of keeping you safe and ready to deal with trouble, also deals with your emotions. When it thinks you might be in danger, it switches on. When it’s on, your emotions will be switched on too.

• Did you know that Signs of Anxiety in Boys can be very different than those seen in girls? (Being defiant or oppositional is a big one.)

• PsychCentral has a great article and handy graphic that shares 8 Ways A Child’s Anxiety Shows Up As Something Else. Kids’ anxiety may look very different from what you expect. 

• This article describing 10 Reasons Teens Have So Much Anxiety Today is also applicable to younger children, positing that the rise in anxiety reflects several societal changes and cultural shifts we've seen over the past couple of decades.

• The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) presents an article defining anxiety in children and suggesting tips for home. 

Managing Anxiety

• Pathway2Success shares 100 Coping Strategies for anger, anxiety, and more. Help your child identify some they are already using, plus help them find a few new ones to try. 

• Avoid passing anxiety on to your kids.  Help yourself, and them, by learning techniques to manage stress in a healthy way. 

• When you help your children avoid scary situations, you may be reinforcing and fueling their anxiety. They’re also missing out on opportunities to develop coping skills and prove to themselves they can deal with the anxious thought or feeling the next time they experience it. Here are 10 Strategies you can use to help your anxious child while teaching them self-sufficiency.

• For many kids, feeling anxious is a perfectly normal (and usually transient) reaction to new or unfamiliar situations. The good news is experts say encouraging children to express their worries can help them alleviate and gain better control over their concerns. Here are Helpful Things to Say to a child in different anxiety-causing situations.

• Author L.R. Knost is quoted as having said, “When little people are overwhelmed by big emotions, it’s our job to share our calm, not join their chaos.” Our words can hurt or heal when our kids are upset. These 10 Soul-Building Phrases will guide your child through their big emotions in this introduction to emotion-coaching for parents.

Additional Resources

American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry offers resources for families, frequently asked questions, ways to get help, and other resources.

Anxiety Canada has resources for adults and for parenting a child with anxiety. The Association aims to educate on different anxiety disorders, managing anxiety, and treatment options.

CDC: Facts About Anxiety in Children

Child Mind Institute covers a wide variety of topics, including multiple articles and sources of material for families and educators.

Coping Skills for Kids is a resource for parents with book suggestions, product suggestions, and suggested ways to help build the skills children need to deal with daily life challenges.

Info About Kids provides a variety of articles on many topics, including anxiety, to help parents understand diagnoses, what is appropriate, and when to seek help. This website is based on science and evidence based approaches and supported by the American Psychological Association.

Stanford Anxiety Resources features websites, some of the same recommended here, books for kids and books for parents to help families understand anxiety.

WorryWiseKids is a resource for understanding symptoms, how to find treatment, and how to support children in the management of their anxiety.

Recommended Reading for Elementary Age Students:
A Smart Girl’s guide: Worry: How to Feel Less Stressed and Have Fun
Coping Skills for Kids Workbook
Don't Feed the Monster: Help Kids Overcome Their Fears
Help Your Dragon Deal With Anxiety
Hey Warrior
Is a Worry Worrying You?
Sitting Still Like a Frog: Mindfulness Exercises for Kids
The Worry Workbook for Kids
The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes
What to Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck
What to Do When You Don’t Want to be Apart
What to Do When Mistakes Make You Quake
What to Do When You Worry Too Much
Wilma Jean the Worry Machine
Wimberly Worried
You've Got Dragons

Recommended Reading for Middle School Age Students:
Anxiety Sucks!: A Teen Survival Guide
A Smart Girl's Guide to Worry
Guts
My Anxious Mind: A Teen’s Guide to Managing Anxiety and Panic
Outsmarting Worry: An Older Kid’s Guide to Managing Anxiety
Stuff That Sucks: A Teen’s Guide to Accepting What You Can’t Change and Committing to What You Can
Playing with Anxiety: Casey’s Guide for Teens and Kids
The Anxiety Survival Guide for Teens
The Worry Workbook for Teens
Why We Worry

Recommended Reading for Parents:
Building Resilience in Children and Teens
Enough As She Is: How to Help Girls Move Beyond Impossible Standards of Success to Live Healthy, Happy, and Fulfilling Lives
Grit
Helping Your Anxious Child: A Step by Step Guide for Parents
Nurturing Resilience in Our Children
Parenting the New Teen in the Age of Anxiety: A Complete Guide to Your Child’s Stressed, Depressed, Expanded, and Amazing Adolescence
Raising Resilient Children
The Yes Brain: How to Cultivate Courage, Curiosity, and Resilience in Your Children

American Academy of Pediatrics has an information page about bullying with facts, helpful websites, and research into bullying and cyberbullying.

National Bullying Prevention Center provides answers to frequently-asked questions about bullying and has websites specifically geared for kids and another for teens.

StopBullying.Gov presents resources on understanding what bullying and cyberbullying are, how to spot warning signs, prevention programming, what each age range can do about it, and information about laws and policies.

Recommended Reading for Elementary Age Students:
American Girl: Stand Up For Yourself and Your Friends
A Smart Girl's Guide: Friendship Troubles
Better Than You
Chrysanthemum
Confessions of a Former Bully
Enemy Pie
Just Kidding
Llama Llama and the Bully Goat
Marlene, Marlene, Queen of Mean
My Secret Bully
Real Friends
Red
The Hundred Dresses
The Juice Box Bully
The Recess Queen
Trouble Talk

Recommended Reading for Middle School Age Students:
A Smart Girl's Guide: Drama, Rumors and Secrets
A Smart Girl’s Guide: Middle School
Awkward
Just Jamie
Letters to a Bullied Girl: Messages of Healing and Hope
Posted
Restart
Sticks & Stones
The Confidence Code for Girls
The Humiliations of Pipi McGee
The Misfits
The Outsiders
The Skin I’m In
Wonder

Recommended Reading for Parents:
Little Girls Can be Mean
Masterminds and Wingmen
No More Mean Girls: The Secret to Raising Strong, Confident, and Compassionate Girls
Odd Girl Out
Odd Girl Speaks Out: Girls Write About Bullies, Cliques, Popularity, and Jealousy
The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander
Queen Bees and Wannabes
Real Boys - Rescuing our Sons from the Myths of Boyhood
Ringleaders and Sidekicks: How to Help Your Son Cope with Classroom Politics, Bullying, Girls, and Growing Up
The Way of Boys: Promoting the Social and Emotional Development of Young Boys
Unselfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World

Coping With COVID-19 Anxiety

• Limit your family’s exposure to news coverage of the event, including social media. Children may misinterpret what they hear and can be frightened about something they do not understand.

• Reassure your child that you are taking all necessary steps to keep them safe. Let them know it is okay if they feel upset, worried, anxious, or scared. All emotions are okay; what matters is how we express and cope with them. Share with them how you deal with your own stressful emotions so that they can learn how to cope from you.

• When kids ask questions, answer only the question they ask and share age-appropriate facts in a way that your child can understand. NPR has a fun article and cartoon to explain the virus to kids. 

• While this video, Dealing with Coronavirus Anxiety (COVID-19), was recorded in mid-March and begins with basic information about COVID-19, right at the 3:00 point, Kati Morton, LMFT, discusses strategies to manage anxiety specific to the virus. 

• This video from Home School Psychology describes anxiety in kid-friendly terms and talks about things kids can do to manage anxiety while participating in distance learning. 

• Be a role model. Take breaks, get plenty of sleep, exercise, and eat well. Connect with your friends and family members via phone or video chat. Remember that you need to be healthy to help your kids stay healthy!

Additional Resources

Helping Children Cope with Stress during the Outbreak

Talking to Children About COVID-19

Answering Kids Questions About Coronavirus

Trauma: Social Distancing, COVID-19, Distance Learning, and Stay-at-Home Orders

Calming Connections

COVID-19 Mental & Behavioral Health Grief and Trauma Virtual Support

First Aid for Feelings: A Workbook to Help Kids Cope During the Coronavirus Pandemic

American Psychological Association offers resources across many topics but this particular site offers recommendations for family members and children on how to support the family when a parent is diagnosed with Depression.

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry offers a variety of resources for parents and students on Depression.

Anxiety and Depression Association of America offers information about depression, blogs written by professional members, free monthly webinars, videos and podcasts from professional members of the ADAA.

CDC: Facts About Depression in Children

Child Mind Institute offers articles on different clinical diagnoses of depression, treatment, symptoms, and tips on how to parent children and teens who are depressed.

National Institute of Mental Health offers a fact sheet on signs and symptoms, how to get help, and tips on what you can do to help yourself or someone else.

Recommended Reading for Elementary Age Students:
A Flicker of Hope
Blueloon
Can I Catch It Like a Cold? Coping With a Parent’s Depression
Meh
Michael Rosen’s Sad Book
Sadly the Owl
The Color Thief
The Hyena Who Lost Her Laugh
The Princess and the Fog: A Story for Children with Depression
The Red tree
When Sadness Comes to Call
Why Are You So Sad?: A Child’s Book about Parental Depression

Recommended Reading for Middle School Age Students:
American Ace: Coping with a father’s depression
Black-Eyed Suzie
Boy Meets Depression: Or Life Sucks and Then You Live
Conquering the Beast Within: How I Fought Depression and Won...And How You Can, Too
Dear Evan Hansen
Depression: A Teen’s Guide to Survive and Thrive
Hurricane Season: About a father’s depression
Monochrome Days: A First-Hand Account of One Teenager’s Experience With Depression
Speak
The Anti-Depressant Book: A Practical Guide for Teens and Young Adults to Overcome Depression and Stay Healthy
The Science of Breakable Things: About a Mother’s Depression
The Thing About Jellyfish
When Nothing Matters Anymore: A Survival Guide for Depressed Teens

Recommended Reading for Parents:
Adolescent Depression: A Guide for Parents
A Relentless Hope: Surviving the Storm of Teen Depression
Coping with Depression in Young People: A Guide for Parents
Raising Depression-Free Children: A Parent’s Guide to Prevention and Early Intervention
Rescuing Your Teenager from Depression
Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls
The Disappearing Girl: Learning the Language of Teenage Depression
Understanding Teenage Depression

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers a breakdown of developmental milestones from birth to age 5.

Milestone Tracker App links to a downloadable app from the CDC to track your child’s development

Concerned About Your Child's Development? Offers actions to take and who to contact if you are concerned that your child’s development may be delayed.

Medline Plus provides a general list of milestones from birth to age 18.

The Growing Child: School Age (6 to 12 years) Hopkins Medicine offers information regarding what children this age can do and understand, as well as how to encourage the child’s social abilities

Understood.org offers developmental milestones for middle schoolers

Young Teens (12 to 14 years) CDC website offers information on how adolescents change at this age, and it provides positive parenting tips

Recommended Reading For Parents:
Ages and Stages: A Parent's Guide to Normal Childhood Development
Are My Kids on Track?: The 12 Emotional, Social, and Spiritual Milestones Your Child Needs to Reach
Developmental Milestones of Young Children
Yardsticks: Child and Adolescent Development Ages 4 - 14

Association of Family and Conciliation Courts This website provides legal resources for parents regarding many aspects of divorce, including custody and co-parenting information.

Divorce Care offers a search to find a support group in your area to help heal from a separation and divorce.

Kids Health Kids Health provides a wealth of resources for parents regarding helping children through divorce, preparing children for a move, becoming a stepparent, and childhood stress. Also included are resources for children, including “What is Divorce?”, living with a single parent or stepparent, and moving.

Sesame Street in Communities offers tips, videos, activities and articles for how to help tell your child about the family changes, manage the family changes, and facilitate conversations.

Today’s Parent offers tips on how to tell your child that their parents are getting a divorce based on your child’s developmental age.

Recommended Reading for Elementary Age Students:
A Smart Girl’s Guide to Her Parents’ Divorce
Big & Little Questions (According to Wren Jo Byrd)
Dinosaurs Divorce: A Guide for Changing Families
Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures
I Don’t Want to Talk about It
It’s Not Your Fault, Koko Bear: A Read-Together Book for Parents and Young Children During Divorce
Mom’s House, Dad’s House for Kids: Feeling at Home in One Home or Two
Road Trip with Max and His Mom
The Dancing Pancake
Two Homes
When My Parents Forgot How to Be Friends
Was It the Chocolate Pudding?: A Story for Little Kids About Divorce
What Can I Do?: A Book for Children of Divorce
What in the World Do You Do When Your Parents Divorce? A Survival Guide for Kids

Recommended Reading for Middle School Age Students:
Bigger Than a Bread Box
Buttermilk Hill
Getting Through My Parents’ Divorce: A Workbook for Children Coping with Divorce, Parental Alienation, and Loyalty Conflicts
My Parents Are Divorced Too: A Book for Kids by Kids
Now What Do I Do?: A Guide to Help Teenagers with Their Parents’ Separation or Divorce
Split in Two: Keeping it Together When Your Parents Live Apart
The Divorce Express
The Thing About Leftovers
What a Time to Be Alone: The Slumflower’s Guide to Why You Are Already Enough

Recommended Reading for Parents:
Co-Parenting with a Toxic Ex: What to Do When Your Ex-Spouse Tries to Turn the Kids Against You
Does Wednesday Mean Mom's House or Dad's
Helping Your Kids Cope with Divorce the Sandcastles Way
How to Talk to Your Kids about Your Divorce: Healthy, Effective Communication Techniques for Your Changing Family
Divorce Poison New and Updated Edition: How to Protect Your Family from Bad-mouthing and Brainwashing
Joint Custody with a Jerk: Raising a Child with an Uncooperative Ex- A Hands-on, Practical Guide to Communication with a Difficult Ex-Spouse
Mom’s House, Dad’s House: Making Two Homes for Your Child
Parenting After Divorce: Resolving Conflicts and Meeting Your Children’s Needs
Putting Children First: Proven Parenting Strategies for Helping Children Thrive Through Divorce
Talk to Children About Divorce: A Parent’s Guide to Healthy Communication at Each Stage of Divorce
Talking to Children About Divorce: A Parent’s Guide to Healthy Communication at Each Stage of Divorce: Expert Advice for Kids’ Emotional
Recovery
The Co-Parenting Handbook: Raising Well-Adjusted and Resilient Kids from Little Ones to Young Adults through Divorce or Separation
The Co-Parenting Survival Guide: Letting Go of Conflict After a Difficult Divorce

American Academy for Eating Disorders offers resources on what defines individual eating disorders, who is at risk, how common eating disorders are, what this prevalence is, what causes eating disorders, the effects of eating disorders, and what the best treatment is for eating disorders.

FEAST offers resources for those who need help, who want to help or need to learn more about eating disorders. They also provide several blogs from professional members, those who have experienced an eating disorder, and the latest research on eating disorders.

NEDA: National Eating Disorders Association is a resource for individuals and families of those experiencing an eating disorder. NEDA also has a weekday helpline for those affected by eating disorders and seeking support.

NIMH: National Institute of Mental Health offers an overview, signs and symptoms, risk factors, and treatment options for eating disorders.

The Eating Disorder Foundation offers facts, signs and symptoms, healthy consequences, effects to body image, contributing factors, coping skills and prevention skills as well as numerous additional resources.

Recommended Reading for Middle School Age Students:
No Weigh: A Teen’s Guide to Positive Body Image, Food, and Emotional Wisdom
The Body Image Workbook for Teens: Activities to Help Girls Develop a Healthy Body Image in an Image-Obsessed World 

Recommended Reading for Parents:
Does This Feel Familiar
Fat Talk: A Feminist Perspective
Help Your Teenager Beat an Eating Disorder
How to Nourish Your Child Through an Eating Disorder
Understanding Teen Eating Disorders: Earning Signs, Treatment Options, and Stories of Courage
When Your Teen Has an Eating Disorder
You’d Be So Pretty If...
Your Dieting Daughter

Blogs
A List of valuable blogs
Center for Discovery: Eating Disorder Treatment

MentalHealth.gov provides one-stop access to U.S. government mental health and mental health problems information. MentalHealth.gov aims to educate and guide

Mental Health Resources List offers a comprehensive list of resources for anyone seeking information about and/or help for a range of mental health issues

National Institute of Mental Health offers information on a variety of emotional and behavioral disorders.

Teens and Stress: How to Keep Stress in Check APA website offers information on the effects of stress on teens, as well as providing tips for decreasing stress.

Recommended Reading for Elementary Age Students:
Coping Skills for Kids Workbook: Over 75 Coping Strategies to Help Kids Deal with Stress, Anxiety and Anger
How Are You Peeling: Foods with Moods
I’m Feeling Mad
In My Heart: A Book of Feelings
Jilly’s Terrible Temper Tantrums and How She Overcame Them
Llama Llama Mad at Mama.
Little Monkey Calms Down
Me and My Feelings: A Kid’s Guide to Understanding and Expressing Themselves
My Mouth is a Volcano
The A Little Spot Series by Diane Alber
The Animal and Little Dinos books by Michael Dahl
The Best Behavior Series
The Color Monster: A Book of Emotions
The Color Monster: A Pop-Up Book of Feelings
The Feelings Book: The Care and Keeping of Your Emotions
The Very Cranky Bear
The Way I Act
The Way I Feel
You Should, You Should
What if Everybody Said That?
When Sophie Gets Angry — Really, Really Angry

Recommended Reading for Middle School Age Students
Blackbird Fly
Dear Evan Hansen
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series
Feeling Better: CBT Workbook for Teens: Essential Skills and Activities to Help You Manage Moods, Boost Self-Esteem, and Conquer Anxiety
Finding Perfect
Just as You Are: A Teen’s Guide to Self-Acceptance and Lasting Self-Esteem
Out of the Dark: Coping with Emotional Challenges
Some Kind of Happiness
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens
The Goldfish Boy
The Ultimate Self-Esteem Workbook for Teens: Overcome Insecurity, Defeat Your Inner Critic, and Live Confidently

Recommended Reading for Parents:
Raising An Emotionally Intelligent Child: The Heart of Parenting
Rising Strong: How the Ability to Reset Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead
The Parents We Mean to Be: How Well-Intentioned Adults Undermine Children’s Moral and Emotional Development
The Survival Guide for Kids with Behavior Challenges: How to Make Good Choices and Stay Out of Trouble
Unselfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World

Bo’s Place is a local resource for support groups, family counseling, and offers resources for the community to help children and families to cope with a loss.

Helping Your Child Cope with a Disaster offers information regarding why disasters are difficult for children’s emotional health and how caregivers can help.

The Dougy Center: The National Center for Grieving Children and Families offers grief resources for different developmental ages and offers book and counseling recommendations for support.

Recommended Reading for Elementary Age Students:
Badger’s Parting Gifts
I’ll Always Love You (A great book for grieving the loss of a pet)
I Miss You: A First Look at Death
Ida, Always
One Wave at A Time
Tear Soup
The Fall of Freddie the Leaf: A Story of Life for All Ages
The Invisible String
The Memory Box: A Book About Grief
When Dinosaurs Die

Recommended Reading for Middle School Age Students:
Counting by 7s
Fast Break
Fire in My Heart, Ice in My Veins: A Journal for Teenagers Experiencing a Loss
Straight Talk About Death for Teenagers: How to Cope with Losing Someone You Love
Healing Your Grieving Heart for Teens
Mockingbird
Navigating Early
Rebound
The Question of Miracles
The Secret Hum of a Daisy
The Seventh Most Important Thing
Umbrella Summer
You Are Not Alone: Stories by Young Teens Who Have Experienced the Death of a Sibling
You Are Not Alone: Teens Talk about Life After the Loss of a Parent
Weird is Normal When Teenagers Grieve

Recommended Reading for Parents:
A Parent’s Guide to Raising Grieving Children: Rebuilding Your Family After the Death of a Loved One
Guiding Your Child Through Grief
Healing a Child’s Grieving Heart
Healing a Teen’s Grieving Heart
It’s OK That You’re Not OK: Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture That Doesn’t Understand
The Other Side of Sadness: What the New Science of Bereavement Tells Us About Life After Loss
The Unspeakable Loss: How Do You Live After a Child Dies?
Understanding Your Grief: Ten Essential Touchstones for Finding Hope and Healing

ADDitude Magazine offers resources for an inside look at the ADHD mind. It includes information about symptomology, treatment, parenting, schooling , and many resources. 

Child Mind Institute offers articles and information on attention, learning, and executive functioning skills.

Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) offers resources on understanding ADHD for adults, parents, and educators as well as providing free webinars to attend.

Helping Preschoolers Get a Good Start in Reading and Learning HealthyChildren.org site that describes how reading to your child early in life lays the foundation for later literacy.

Learning Disabilities Association of America - the LDAA site offers information on a variety of learning disabilities, including Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, and Dysgraphia.

Navigating Life Texas offers information for parents raising children with disabilities on understanding diagnoses, understanding accommodations, and finding services for your child.

Understood.org offers information regarding learning and thinking differences, including Dyslexia, ADHD, and Dyscalculia.

Recommended Reading for Elementary Age Students:
Free Association, Where My Mind Goes for Science Class
If You’re So Smart, How Come You Can’t Spell Mississippi
Knees: The Mixed Up World of a Boy with Dyslexia
Last to Finish: A Story About the Smartest Boy in Math Class
Many Ways to Learn: A Kid’s Guide to LD
Mrs. Gorski, I Think I Have the Wiggle Fidgets
Special People, Special Ways
Stacey Coolidge Fancy-Smancy Cursive Handwriting
Thank You, Mr. Falker
That’s Like Me: Stories About Amazing People with Learning Differences
The Alphabet War: A Story About Dyslexia
The Art of Miss Chew
The Here’s Hank Series
Thriving with ADHD Workbook for Kids
Tom’s Special Talent
What Were You Thinking? Learn to Control Your Impulses

Recommended Reading for Middle School Age Students:
Absolutely Almost
ADHD in HD: Brains Gone Wild
Bluefish
Caged in Chaos: A Dyspraxic Guide to Breaking Free
Dyslexia is My Superpower (Most of the Time)
Fish in a Tree
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key
My Name is Brain Brian
The ADHD Workbook for Teens: Activities to Help You Gain Motivation and Confidence
The Executive Functioning Workbook for Teens: Help for Unprepared, Late, and Scattered Teens
The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle
Trout and Me

Recommended Reading for Parents:
Driven to Distraction: Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder
Smart But Scattered: The Revolutionary “Executive Skills” Approach to Helping Kids Reach Their Potential
Smart But Scattered Teens: The Revolutionary “Executive Skills” Approach for Helping Teens Reach Their Potential
Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain
Taking Charge of ADHD, Third Edition: The Complete, Authoritative Guide for Parents
The Misunderstood Child, Fourth Edition: Understanding and Coping with Your Children’s Learning Disabilities
The Out-of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder
What Your ADHD Kid Wishes You Knew

Recommended Reading for Parents:

Academic Success and More
How Children Succeed
How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success
The Blessings of a B Minus
The Blessings of a Skinned Knee
The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Succeed 

Communicating
How to Be the Parents You Always Wanted to Be
How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk
How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen and Listen So Little Kids Will Talk
How to Talk So Teens Will Listen and Listen So Teens Will Talk
Voice Lessons for Parents: What to Say, When to Say It, and How to Listen

General Parenting
Duct Tape Parenting
No Drama Discipline
Parenting with Love and Logic
Parenting Teens with Love and Logic
Positive Discipline for Today’s Busy (and Overwhelmed) Parent: How to Blanche Work, Parenting, and Self for Lasting Well-Being (also has many other books broken down by age range)
The Whole Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Help Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind
Strengths Based Parenting: Developing Your Children's Innate Talents
The Power of Showing Up: How Parental Presence Shapes Who Our Kids Become and How Their Brains Get Wired
The Self-Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives
The Vanishing American Adult
Untangled: Guiding Children Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood

Raising Daughters
Dial Down the Drama: Reducing Conflict and Reconnecting with Your Teenage Daughter - A Guide for Mothers Everywhere
Girls on the Edge: The Four Factors Driving the New Crisis for Girls
Girls Will Be Girls: Raising Confident and Courageous Daughters
Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls
The Curse of the Good Girl: Raising Authentic Girls with Courage and Confidence

Raising Sons
Boys Adrift: The Five Factors Driving the Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men
He’s Not Lazy: Empowering Your Son to Believe in Himself
How Do You Tuck in a Superhero?
That Crumpled Paper was Due Last Week: Helping Disorganized Boys Succeed in School and Life
Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys

Understanding Teenagers
Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain
The Grown-Up’s Guide to Teenage Humans: How to Decode Their Behavior, Develop Trust, and Raise a Respectable Adult
The Teenage Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Guide to Raising Adolescents and Young Adults

Blogs
Aha! Parenting
Colleen O’Grady
Common Sense Media: Parenting, Media, and Everything In Between
Grown and Flown: Parenting Never Ends
NYT Parenting Blog
Rachel Simmons’ Articles and Tips

Many of the websites in this section offer more than just answers to questions on sex education. Additionally, you will find book recommendations that not only talk about the birds and the bees, but also teach your children about consent, privacy, how to protect their bodies, and respect for oneself and others.

Amaze.org and Amaze jr offer resources for parents and families on a variety of sex ed topics, including puberty, privacy, healthy relationships, and more. Amaze jr. offers developmentally appropriate answers to children’s questions about growing up.

Anatomy for Kids offers videos, a blog, and book recommendations to help your son or daughter understand his/her changing body and health.

KidHealth and TeensHealth offer a wide variety of age appropriate topics for children on body are, health basics, skin care, and the basics of the body.

General Recommended Reading for Parents and Children:
Asking About Sex and Growing Up: A Question-and-Answer Book for Kids
Consent: The New Rules of Sex Education: Every Teen’s Guide to Healthy Sexual Relationships
God Made All of Me: A Book to Help Children Protect Their Bodies
Good Pictures, Bad Pictures Jr. (ages 3-6)
Good Pictures, Bad Pictures
I Can Play it Safe! (Ages 2-6)
I Said No! A Kid-to-kid Guide to Keeping Private Parts Private
It’s NOT the Stork (ages 4-8)
It’s So Amazing (ages 7-10)
It’s Perfectly Normal (ages 10+)
Let’s Talk About Body Boundaries, Consent and Respect: Teach Children about Body Ownership, Respect, Feelings, Choices, and Recognizing Bully Behaviors
My Body Belongs to Me from My Head to My Toes
What’s the Big Secret?: Talking about Sex with Girls and Boys
Will Puberty Last My Whole Life?: REAL Answers to REAL Questions from Preteens About Body Changes, Sex, and Other Growing-Up Stuff

Female
GirlsHealth.Gov provides resources and information on a variety of topics including body, drugs and alcohol, relationships, bullying, safety, nutrition, etc.
Girlmentum is a blog dedicated to presenting all information about drugs, the body, relationships, nutrition, stress management, etc.

Recommended Reading for Young Girls and Parents:
Care and Keeping of You: The Body Book for Younger Girls
Care and Keeping of You 2: The Body Book for Older Girls
Celebrate Your Body (and It’s Changes too!): The Ultimate Puberty Book for Girls
Period.: A Girl’s Guide
HelloFlo: The Guide, Period.: The Everything Puberty Book for the Modern Girl
The Girls’ Guide to Sex Education: Over 100 Honest Answers to Urgent Questions About Puberty, Relationships, and Growing Up
The Period Book: A Girl’s Guide to Growing Up
There’s Something New About You: A Girl’s Guide to Growing Up
“What’s Happening to My Body?” Book for Girls
Will Puberty Last My Whole Life?: REAL Answers to REAL Questions from Preteens About Body Changes, Sex, and Other Growing-Up Stuff. For Girls

Male
All Pro Dad offers resources on how to talk to your son about puberty and sex.

Recommended Reading for Young Boys and Parents:
Growing Up Great!: The Ultimate Puberty Book for Boys
Guy Stuff: The Body Book for Boys
I’m a Boy, My Changing Body (ages 8-10)
I’m a Boy: Hormones (ages 11+)
Just the Facts: A Guy’s Guide to Growing Up
The Body Book for Boys
“What’s Happening to My Body?” Book for Boys

Adolescent Sleep Tips Cleveland Clinic offers suggestions to help teenagers meet their changing sleep needs.

Childhood Sleep Guidelines offers a recommendation as to the number of hours of sleep for children through age 18, as well as tips from the AAP.

Encouraging Good Sleep Habits offers the basics of sleep hygiene and recommendations to encourage positive sleep habits in your children.

How Much Sleep Do I Need? offers sleep recommendations for babies through adults.

Sleep Hygiene for Children (handout) offers 14 tips for promoting good sleep habits in children aged 3 to 13.

Sleep Tips for Your Family's Mental Health from HealthyChildren.org.

Structuring Your Child's Nighttime Routine offers recommendations for creating bedtime routines.

Teens and Sleep offers facts about sleep, consequences of poor sleep, and solutions to improve sleep in teenagers.

Tips for Better Sleep CDC’s tips for improving the quality of sleep.

Tuck.com website provides a variety of information related to sleep, from snoring to mattresses to the effects of trauma on sleep.

What is Sleep Hygiene? National Sleep Foundation offers a definition of sleep hygiene, signs of poor sleep, and strategies to improve sleep.

Why Sleep Matters Harvard Medical School provides an understanding of the importance of sleep and developing good sleep hygiene.

Recommended Reading for Elementary Age Students:
A Kid's Guide to Relaxation and Sleep
Devin & Evan Sleep from 8-7: Teaching Children the Importance of Sleep
"I DON'T WANT TO SLEEP": Teaching Kids the Importance of Sleep

Recommended Reading for Parents:
It's Never Too Late to Sleep Train
Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems
Sleep: What Every Parent Needs to Know
Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams

*If your child is experiencing suicidal thoughts or has concerns about a friend, please contact your division’s counselor immediately. If you are concerned someone has attempted suicide, call 911 immediately.*

Boys Town Hotline is a 24/7 hotline staffed by specially trained counselors, in English and Spanish, and is certified by the American Association of Suicidology. The website also features chat, text and email options for families and individuals to reach out for support and help. Students can also call about bullies, family concerns, or relationship concerns to get the help and support they need.

Crisis Text Line was born out of the DoSomething.org website and provides a 24/7 text line to support on a variety of issues including anxiety, depression, bullying, school, suicide, self-harm and abuse.

National Suicide Prevention Hotline is a 24/7, free resource for both family members and for those in crisis to provide help and crisis resources.

Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE) offers resources on warning signs, support services, and common misconceptions on suicide.

The Jason Foundation offers resources on warning signs, facts, stats, and risk factors. It also offers the “A Friend Asks” Apps that provides information and tools on how a student can help a friend or themselves.

Recommended Reading for Middle School age:
The Power to Prevent Suicide: A Guide for Teens Helping Teens

Recommended Reading for Parents:
**Also see books recommended under the Depression section**
A Parent’s Guide for Suicidal and Depressed Teens: Help for Recognizing if a Child is in Crisis and What to Do About It
Eight Stories Up: An Adolsecent Chooses Hope Over Suicide
Helping Your Child Cope with Depression and Suicidal Thoughts
How I Stayed Alive When My Brain was Trying to Kill Me: One Person’s Guide to Suicide Prevention
Life After Suicide: Finding Courage, Comfort, & Community After Unthinkable Loss
Night Falls Fast: Understanding Suicide
No Time to Say Goodbye: Suriviving the Suicide of a Loved One
The Truth About Suicide

Common Sense Media is a great resource to look up apps, games, books, movies, and other media for recommendations on age limits, violence, or reviews for appropriate content. It also reviews social media and the ways each medium can be used positively and negatively.

Cyberwise.org is designed for parents to help understand how children can use digital media safely. It has information about Digital Citizenship; the latest and greatest video games, apps and social media; and a blog. 

HealthyChildren.Org offers up an article on Tips for Parenting in the Digital Age based on the American Academy of Pediatrics policies for media use in children and adolescents. This article also links to a family media use plan, adverse effects of media on young minds, virtual violence impacts on behavior, and recommendations for ways parents can model healthy technology use.

Identifying and Treating Technology Addiction offers the definition of tech addiction, types of tech additional, the negative effects, risk factors, signs, and treatment options.

Teen Technology & Video Game Addiction provides the root causes for addition, the different types of technology addition, why teenagers become addicted, and how to find a healthy balance with technology.

Recommended Reading for Elementary Age:
But It’s Just a Game
Cell Phoney
Chicken Clicking
If You Give A Mouse an iPhone: A Cautionary Tail
Nerdy Bird Tweets
Once Upon a Time...Online: Happily Ever After is Only a Click Away!
The Berenstain Bears’ Computer Trouble
The Cyber Spying Glass (Christmas Edition - Internet Safety for Children)
The Technology Tail: A Digital Footprint Story

Recommended Reading for Middle School Age:
A Smart Girl’s Guide: Digital World: How to Connect, Share, Play, and Keep Yourself Safe
Click: A Story of Cyberbullying
Girl Gone Viral (12+)
Goodbye Stranger
Invisible Emmie
Katie Friedman Gives Up Texting
Posted
Queen of Likes
The Hot List
The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl
You Go First

Recommended Reading for Parents:
Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other
American Girls and the Social Media Lives of Teenagers
Disconnected: How to Reconnect our Digitally Distracted Kids
Glow Kids
IGen: Why Today’s Super Connected Kids are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy — and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood — and What That Means for the Rest of Us
Raising Humans in a Digital World: Helping Kids Build a Healthy Relationship with Technology
Screenwise: Helping Kids Survive and Thrive in Their Digital World
The Art of Screentime: How Your Family Can Balance Digital Media and Real Life
The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains

Blog
Cyberwise blog (from the Raising Humans in a Digital World book)
Devorah Heitner’s blog (author of Screenwise)
LearnSafe blog features many topics related to digital media as well as other topics of safety prevalent in schools today.

Child Mind Institute offers tips to help a child after a traumatic event.

HealthyChildren.org offers tips on understanding your child’s needs after a trauma and helping your child cope.

HelpGuide.org provides effects of trauma on kids and teens broken down by age range, how to help kids recover, and when to seek treatment.

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network has a wealth of resources, in four languages, for families and caregivers, for a variety of types of trauma. 

Recommended Reading for Elementary Age:
**Also see section on grief*
A Terrible Thing Happened: A Story for Children Who Have Witnessed Violence or Trauma
Becoming a Superhero
Bomji and Spotty’s Frightening Adventure
Chester Raccoon and the Acorn Full of Memories
Healing Days: A Guide for Kids Who Have Experienced Trauma
How Little Coyote Found His Secret Strength
Jenny is Scared: When Sad Things Happen in the World
Love, Hugs, and Hope: When Scary Things Happen
The Boy Who Built a Wall Around Himself
Trauma: Teaching Kids All About Trauma
When Something Terrible Happens: Children Can Learn to Cope with Grief
Why Are You So Scared? A Child’s Book About Parents with PTSD

Recommended Reading for Middle School Age:
*Also see section on grief*
Another Kind of Hurricane
Free Verse
Lost in the Sun
Maybe a Fox
Mayday
The PTSD Survival Guide for Teens: Strategies to Overcome Trauma, Build Resilience, and Take Back Your Life
The PTSD Workbook for Teens: Simple, Effective Skills for Healing Trauma
Towers Falling
You Can’t See the Elephants

Recommended Reading for Parents:
Beyond PTSD: Helping and Healing Teens Exposed to Trauma
Strengthening Family Coping Resources: Intervention for Families Impacted by Trauma
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog: And Other Stories from a Child Psychiatrist’s Notebook — What Traumatized Children Can Teach Us About Loss,
Love, and Healing
The Simple Guide to Child Trauma
Trauma is Really Strange
Trauma Through a Child’s Eyes
Traumatic Experience and the Brain: A Handbook for Understanding and Treating Those Traumatized as Children

American Heart Association offers information about vaping, tests how much you know about vaping, and tips on how to talk to teens about vaping.

Child Mind Institute offers several resources on the risks of vaping, why parents should be concerned, and how to talk to your kids about vaping.

KidsHealth.org gives parents information about what vaping is, what the health effects are, how e-cigs work, how teens can quit vaping, and how parents can help.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse offers a wealth of resources on teens and e-cigarette use.

TheTruth.com offers true facts about the dangers of vaping, as well as resources to learn more about vaping.

Recommended Reading for Parents:
Can You Tell Which is a Vaping Device? From Nov. 12, 2019
Clearing the Air: All the latest KHOU news on Vaping
How to Talk to Teens About Vaping from Oct. 6, 2019
How Vaping Nicotine Can Affect A Teenage Brain from Oct. 10, 2019
Teen Vaping Linked to More Health Risks from Nov. 8, 2019
Vaping Crisis Has Now Reached Texas Elementary Schools from Nov. 5, 2019
Vaping Illness Cases Rise Again, to 2,172, CDC says from Nov. 14, 2019