Website of the Week: Scholastic’s Free What Can I Do Journal Helps Kids and Families Cope with the Economy

As adults we are painfully aware of each new downturn the economy takes. Every time I turn on the news, the unemployment rate reaches a new high which means increasing numbers of families are struggling with their household budgets trying to make ends meet. The financial difficulties faced by families certainly affect children too. Being in a school, I can feel the effect that the economy is having on some of my students.

Thanks to Scholastic, there’s a new free online publication designed especially for kids to help them through this difficult time. Scholastic’s What Can I Do? My Journal for Caring and Sharing in Tough Times is a free downloadable journal is designed for kids ages 6-11 whose parents have lost jobs or are struggling in the current economic downturn.

Parents can present the journal to children and use it as a way to discuss the current state of the economy as it affects their family because it contains kid-friendly language and a layout that encourages elementary age children to express their ideas. What Can I Do? helps children identify their support systems while reinforcing self-esteem and open communication, strengthening their perception of themselves and their families with an emphasis on self-worth. Activities include writing or drawing to express thoughts on topics like changes in the family, how other family members are feeling, and listing the reasons why parents are special. It encourages children to seek out caring people that they can talk to, develop a list of things they can do to feel better when they are upset, healthy ways to express anger, and to ask questions. The journal is certainly something that a 3-5th grader can do independently or one that a parent can do with a child in the early elementary grades.

What Can I Do? was created by Denise Daniels, a prominent child development expert who provides guided counseling for children in families facing hardship and prompts children to identify, express, and manage feelings of loss and change through a series of guided lessons and exercises.

“In times of family transition, children can often feel powerless and confused,” said Daniels. “They become afraid of what the future holds for them and worry about how these difficult moments will impact their lives. What Can I Do? guides children to acknowledge these feelings of displacement and provides constructive ways kids can work through tough times in a positive way.”

Scholastic’s What Can I Do? website also includes a Parents’ Letter and a Parents’ Guide with tips for parents on helping children cope with tough times, and a video message from Denise Daniels. The Letter to Parents and Parents’ Guide is available in Spanish and English.

Click here to download your own absolutely free copy of the What Can I Do? journal!

Thanks Scholastic for creating such a timely resource for kids and families!