A weekly online video series that was created as emotional support to families during the coronavirus pandemic. The series started April 14, 2020 and ran through June 9, 2020.
Our nationally recognized panel held candid conversations about parenting, child behavior, mental health and relationships during the ever-changing environment of the global pandemic.
They tackled the stressors, concerns and difficulties families faced during the pandemic but, more importantly, how to maintain a sense of hope and understanding. Panelists also offered tips for maintaining a problem-solving mindset even amidst circumstances that felt out of our control.
While the future of COVID-19 is unknown, the coping skills and supportive resources offered in each episode remain a continued value to families.
View past Thrive With Your Family episodes.
Panelists
These panelists rotated regularly while some episodes also included guest panelists from Michigan Medicine:
Host: Jenny Radesky, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics,
Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics
Katherine Rosenblum, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychiatry,
Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Co-Director, Zero to Thrive and the Women & Infants Mental Health Program
Melissa Cousino, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Psychology
Director of Psychosocial Services and Research, Congenital Heart Center
Sheila Marcus, M.D.
Professor of Psychiatry,
Section Chief, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Michigan Child Collaborative (MC3) Care Program
View Past Thrive With Your Family Episodes
Thrive With Your Family – Episode 1: Processing Change
Date: April 14, 2020
Topics covered
- How children process all of the changes going on in their lives and how to understand their feelings
- How to respond when children’s behavior is a bit more crazy or dysregulated
- How to juggle work and home
- Some initial thoughts about managing screen time during school closures
Resources
- Stay at Home Care Package
- Resources for families during the coronavirus pandemic from Common Sense Media
- The Zones of Regulation (English)
- The Zones of Regulation (Spanish)
Thrive With Your Family – Episode 2: Parental Self-Care, COVID-19 Anxiety and Managing Screen Time
Date: April 21, 2020
Topics covered
- Self-care for single parents
- How to help kids who are anxious about COVID
- How to manage sleep regression in children
- Media use to keep toddlers occupied
Resources
- Helping young kids through the COVID-19 pandemic (including Georgie and the Giant Germ: a coloring book)
- Self-care / stress coping for parents
- Four square (box) breathing: a basic exercise in mindfulness
- How Do Our Phones Affect Our Parenting?
- Screen time can be quality time. Here’s how.
- How to talk with young children about things that make them feel anxious (the SAFE handout)
- Caribu mobile app for loved ones to read and play with kids
Thrive With Your Family – Episode 3: Teens and the Pandemic
Date: April 28, 2020
Guest Panelists
The following guest panelists will joining Jenny Radesky, M.D.:- Elizabeth Koschmann, Ph.D.
Assistant Research Scientist, Michigan Medicine Department of Psychiatry and Comprehensive Depression Center,
Director of the TRAILS to Wellness Program - Ellen Selkie, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Adolescent Medicine, Susan B. Meister Child Health Evaluation and Research (CHEAR) Center,
Research Director of Child and Adolescent Gender Services
Topic: Teens
- Helping teens with the emotional adjustment to social distancing. When to worry?
- What to do with all the increased media use when you used to be a low tech family? How to balance the online learning and socializing?
Resources
Thrive With Your Family – Episode 4: Supporting Kids With Special Needs and Preventing Sibling Fights
Date: May 5, 2020
Topic: Special Needs
- How to help kids with autism maintain relationships
- How to help children with developmental delays who need extra support
- How to help little kids get the most out of videochat and classroom meet-ups
- How to help siblings communicate during conflict and feeling “cooped up” together without private space
Resources
- Building Preschoolers’ Speech and Language Skills With Everyday Interactions and Activities
- 10 Ways Children with Language Disorders Can Maintain Both Physical Distance and Social Connection During the Coronavirus Pandemic
- Family resources related to COVID-19 from Michigan Child Collaborative Care Program (MC3) (including resources for autism and school)
- Information and family resources related to COVID-19 from Autism Speaks
- GoPeer.org is a resource that allows families to connect with qualified college undergraduates who are available to tutor K-12 students. They integrate technology with a near-peer education model to provide jobs to college students, logistical help to parents, and academic mentorship to students.
Thrive With Your Family – Episode 5: Supporting Kids With Chronic Diseases During COVID-19
Date: May 12, 2020
Guest Panelists
The following guest panelists will be joining Jenny Radesky, M.D., and Melissa Cousino, Ph.D.:- Nasuh Malas, M.D., MPH
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Director of Pediatric Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry - Dana Albright, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Psychology
Topic: Chronic Illness in Children
- Dealing with uncertainty and unexpected changes, including how to create a sense of safety and structure and how parents can deal with the uncertainty as well
- What to do when a chronically ill child with developmental delays refuses to wear a face mask to their next procedure
- Without the structure of school, daily health behaviors have become increasingly challenging. How can I help my child complete all their necessary medical care?
Resources
Thrive With Your Family – Episode 6: Having a Baby During a Pandemic
Date: May 19, 2020
Guest Panelists
The following guest panelists will be joining Jenny Radesky, M.D.:- Elizabeth Langen, M.D.
Associate professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Maternal Fetal Medicine) - Melisa Scott, CNM
Advanced Practice Nurse (Certified Nurse Midwife) - Maria Muzik, M.D.
Associate professor of Psychiatry,
Associate professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Co-director, Zero To Thrive & Women and Infants Mental Health Program (WIMHP)
Medical Director, Michigan Medicine Perinatal Psychiatry Services & MC3 for moms
Topic: Perinatal well-being (the time of pregnancy proceeding birth through the newborn stage)
- Anxiety or depression during pregnancy, including concerns over not seeing providers, worry about own/baby’s safety, and fear of laboring and/or birthing alone
- Concerns about the birth experience, including being positive for COVID and separated from baby, worry about baby’s safety, and support of healthcare workers during birth
- The uncertainties after getting home with your new baby, including lack of in-person support, fear of exposing elderly parents or baby to COVID, safety at well-baby visits, and dealing with lactation support/telehealth during recovery
Resources
- Multiple perinatal resources from Zero to Thrive, including a perinatal adjustment group
- Pregnancy apps from MC3 (under Perinatal Resources tab)
- Sleep support from Zero to Thrive
- Birth recovery and postpartum resources from Bodily
- A full list of classes and support groups Michigan Medicine offers for moms, including the "Stay Home, Stay Connected" group Melisa Scott, CNM, referenced in the episode
Thrive With Your Family – Episode 7: Coping With Loss and Grief
Date: June 2, 2020
Guest Panelists
The following guest panelist will be joining host Jenny Radesky, M.D., Katherine Rosenblum, Ph.D., and Sheila Marcus, M.D.:
- Polly Gipson, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Child and Adolescent section
Director, Trauma and Grief Clinic
Topic: Loss and grief
- Honoring lost loved ones and addressing disproportionate impact on communities of color
- Emotional support from afar for family and friends who have lost a loved one due to COVID-19
- Coping and support within the community when some of our strategies have been taken away (i.e., going to church, going to gym classes, etc.), and maintaining faith during a time of so much uncertainty
- How to talk with children about loss of a loved one
Resources
National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) resources
- Childhood Traumatic Grief: Information for Parents and Caregivers
- Guiding Adults in Talking to Children About Death and Attending Services
- Helping Children With Traumatic Separation or Traumatic Grief Related to COVID-19
- Helping School-Age Children With Traumatic Grief: Tips for Caregivers
- Helping Teens With Traumatic Grief: Tips for Caregivers
- Helping Young Children With Traumatic Grief: Tips for Caregivers
Books and Videos
- Adult book recommendations on race/racism
- Children’s books about grief
- Children’s books that support conversations about race/racism
- Ready to Remember, a book that tells the story of Jeremy, a boy suffering from Childhood Traumatic Grief, or watch Ready to Remember (video).
- Rosie Remembers Mommy Forever in Her Heart (video)
Other
- How to Help Children & Families Stay CALM during Coronavirus (COVID-19)
- Talking with kids about race/racism
- White Allyship 101: Resources to Get to Work
Thrive With Your Family – Episode 8: Returning to “Normal”
Date: June 9, 2020
Topic: Returning to “Normal”
- Dealing with lasting effects social isolation may have on our children
- How to feel comfortable as businesses and services start to open back up
- How to make the best out of future school learning plans paired with continued work demands