Vasilia Graboski

Connected by Our Human-ness

8/20/2020

A Book Review of
I Am Human A Book Of Empathy

I Am Human A Book of Empathy
Written By: Susan Verde
Illustrated By: Peter H. Reynolds
Published By: Abrams Books for Young Readers

Recognizing our connection to each other through our humanity and empathizing with the plight of others is key to making this world a better place. I Am Human introduces these concepts to the youngest among us. It has become clear through this pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement that our culture is lacking empathy and the ability to put ourselves in someone else's shoes. Teaching our children the importance of human connection, acceptance and empathy towards others will go a long way in improving our culture. The ability to care about the impact of our actions and behaviors on others is crucial.

I Am Human sends an important message to all of us, but is most appropriate for children ages 3-8. Susan Verde skillfully weaves many layers into this simple book.

The larger take away is that we are all human. This sounds obvious, but the reality in this world is that is not how we treat each other. We are all human regardless of the color of our skin, different abilities, the country we are from, our religion or if we are from a poorer or richer part of town. We are all connected by our human-ness and are all unique in our own way. This book celebrates the human potential of feeling empathy and compassion toward ourselves and others.

The smaller messages relate to the fact that the human condition is imperfect. We all have our strengths and weaknesses and we should respect those things in ourselves and others. I Am Human is a hopeful book in that it portrays the journey of being human as having challenges and possibilities. We all have feelings that we express in different ways. Part of being human is being afraid of things sometimes or feeling sad occasionally or hurt or angry about something somebody said to you. We have the ability to make choices. We can apologize for our mistakes and try to do better. We can choose to be helpful to others if they are struggling or kind to ourselves.

The art by Peter H. Reynolds is simple, yet beautiful. It shows the connection between others and hopefulness of the human condition. The book includes a Loving/Kindness Meditation at the end.

I recommend this book for all children to teach them these human ideals from a young age and give them the reassurance and knowledge that they are part of something bigger and are not alone. It reinforces a sense of community that will help all of us get through difficult times. You can find this book and others in the I AM Series by Susan Verde and Peter H. Reynolds on her website at https://www.susanverde.com/susans-books.

As an example of showing empathy toward others, I recommend this follow up book that reinforces the joy of helping others.

These Are My Pants
Written by: Jane and Katelyn Plank
Ilustrated by; Aniqa Ashfaq

This is a self-published book, that is not only about the virtue of giving to others, but also sets an example for giving as a portion of the book proceeds go towards Goodwill. I encourage you to purchase this book and use it as an example of being human and showing empathy toward others.

Reading These Are My Pants provides an excellent opportunity to put the concept into action and have your child participate in an act of giving to others. It could be something of theirs that they are willing to give up to help others, something new that you buy together, or a service that the child can provide in the mission to help another human. Share the joy of giving with your child!

To learn more about These Are My Pants and to purchase the book, go to their website at https://www.plankbooks.com/.

Activity Idea for I Am Human A Book Of Empathy

We are all connected with our human-ness, even though we are all unique in many ways. My suggestion is to pose two questions to your child after reading the book.
What makes you human?
What makes you unique?
Use those ideas to complete the following activity.

Materials needed:
8.5 x 11 paper or a roll of paper cut to the size of the child
markers or crayons
pencil

Directions:
If you have a roll of paper that you could have the child lay on and trace them, this would be the funnest way to continue. I don't have a paper roll or a child with me, so I will draw the child on a regular size paper. Either way is fine.

1. Have child lay on the paper on his/her back and trace around their body with a pencil. Then have child draw on and color their hair, eyes, clothes, etc.
Or draw child outline on sheet of paper and have them color in details of themselves. Encourage them to make it look like their unique selves with hair color, skin color, eye color etc. Make sure to leave room around the drawing for writing.

2. Write I AM HUMAN at the top of the page and label one side with human-ness and the other, unique.

2. Around the portrait of themselves, discuss and write the things that make them both human and unique. The photo shows some examples.

3. Hang completed project on refrigerator or wall so they can see often.

4. Share with the child how you are different and the same as them. Have fun!

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The Case of the "What Ifs?"

7/21/2020

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A Book Review of Mindful Bea and the Worry Tree

Mindful Bea and the Worry Tree
Written by: Gail Silver
Illustrated by: Franziska Hollbacher
Published by: Magination Press

I chose Mindful bea and the Worry Tree to review this month as I think all of us have been feeling some level of anxiety about the pandemic and are worried about what the future will bring. The most pressing worry as we are approaching August for children, parents and teachers is whether or not they will return to school in person this Fall. If so, what will that look like? Will it be safe? What happens if I get sick? What if I don't return to school? What will online learning be like with a new teacher? So many important questions and so few answers. Anxiety and worry are a normal reaction to these current circumstances.

Pandemic panic aside, anxiety disorders are the most common psychological issue among children. Anxiety has been on the rise in our society for many years. Anxiety and worry are a normal part of childhood, but it can become more severe in some children. This book, Mindful Bea and the Worry Tree, is excellent for children within the whole spectrum of anxiety, from everyday worries to severe disturbances. This book will help children name and understand their feelings of anxiety as well as learn to cope with it.

The author, Gail Silver, utilizes a tree as an analogy for anxiety, with beautiful writing as follows:
"like a seed from underground, it sprouts alive, unleashed, unbound. With knarled roots, this kind of tree feeds on thoughts ..." The story begins as Bea, in anticipation of her birthday party, is bombarded with thoughts of "What if ..." "What if nobody comes? What if we didn't bake enough cake?" These "what if ..." questions are very common in all of our thoughts when anxiety starts to take hold.

Through Bea, Ms. Silver does a thorough job in describing the physical sensations in our bodies when we are feeling anxious. This is an important step in helping children recognize and name their feelings, which is crucial to coping. She then takes children through a meditation process, including deep breathing and slowing down thoughts in order to choose what to think about. Repetition of words is used in the text to show Bea slowly calming herself down and quieting her irrational thoughts as she is employing her coping skills.

Franziska Hollbacher, the illustrator, follows the mood of the story beautifully through her illustrations. Initially the vines of the tree are taking over. Slowly these vines recede and the illustrations become more and more calm and then full of fun energy as the birthday party begins.

This book includes a Note to Parents, written by a psychologist, which includes helpful information on how to use this book, information on understanding anxiety in children, how parents can help, and when to seek professional help.

I strongly recommend this book for all children ages 4-8, whether struggling with temporary, everyday worries or with an ongoing anxiety disorder. Check out other books on emotions by Gail Silver at https://gailsilver.com/books-and-more/.

I have included additional resources below and an activity to further help your child with their worries and anxieties.

Activity and Resources for Mindful Bea and the Worry Tree

Belly breathing is the most important skill to acquire and not easy to teach young children - here are a couple of links to videos to help teach belly breathing to kids
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOnDA6_MAWI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Relaxation/Meditation/Mindfulness - an abundance of apps are available on Iphone or Ipad with meditation/mindfulness exercises for kids. A few of the higher rated apps are:
Stop, Breathe and Think Kids
Breathe, Think, Do with Sesame Street (for the younger crowd)
Calm (has a specialized kid's section)

Activity
Materials needed:

pinwheel template https://www.firstpalette.com/printable/pinwheel.html

Paper (cardstock works best)can use colored paper or white
unused pencil with eraser
push pin or tack
scissors
crayons or markers
black marker
glue -strong glue is helpful
bead or small button

Directions: I suggest that you make two-one for child and one for adult helper
1. Talk to child about their worries,
write them down and set aside for now

2. Share a couple of your minor worries
as an adult without overwhelming
the child

3. Print out 2 templates(one plain and one with desired design) for each pinwheel
on cardstock or paper

4. Cut out squares

5. Color designs on one square as desired

6. Glue un-decorated sides of the squares together

7. Cut inside of squares along dotted lines

8. Bring every other tip of each of the sides
to the center without folding paper;
Glue in place; Hold in place until dry;
Trickiest part-need strong glue

9. Pull out the list of child's worries
and write on the solid parts of the
pinwheel with a black marker

10. Insert push pin through center
where tips come together; wiggle it around
to make the hole a little bigger

10. Add bead or button to pin on
the back side of pinwheel

11. Insert push pin into the eraser
of the pencil; make sure it's not poking
out the other side of the eraser.

12. Blow on it to make sure it twirls freely;
if not, loosen the pin and wiggle it around more; works best if you blow toward the front of the pinwheel and not the sides

13. Blow those worries away and make the pinwheel spin!
Adult should breathe with them with their pinwheel.

14. Pull the pinwheel out when child is having worries.
Have fun!

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Understanding Sameness, Celebrating Difference

6/19/2020

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A Book Review of Something Happened in Our Town- A Child's Story About Racial Injustice

Something Happened in Our Town
A Child's Story About Racial Injustice
Written By: Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, Ann Hazzard
Illustrated By: Jennifer Zivoin
Published By: Magination Press

This current political climate, as stressful as it has been and continues to be, has awarded us an opportunity. An opportunity to be a part of stopping the cycle of systemic racism by teaching our children. As parents, teachers and therapists, we have been handed a teaching moment that comes with a responsibility to prepare our kids for a better future for ALL people.

The recent incidents of police brutality toward people of color, and the treatment they receive that is very different from their white counterparts, is currently shining a light on a social issue that has been, and continues to be, a crisis within our communities. The news of the protests and the uptick of conversations around racial issues are, in fact, affecting our kids. They are watching and they are listening. As adults, we want to shield our kids from the ugly realities of the world. White people have had the privilege of not discussing race with their kids. This is part of the problem that needs to change. Therefore, it is crucial to have these discussions and this book is a perfect starting point.

One of the most important and effective things that we can do is to teach our children to pay attention to the world around them, to watch out for how others are treated and to stand up for themselves and others. Our children are our hope for a better future of equality for ALL people. We need to help them understand sameness and celebrate difference among people. This is our opportunity to check ourselves on how we are perpetrating the ongoing biases and disregard for people different from ourselves. We can learn along with our children.

Starting as young as 3 years old, numerous children of color that I encountered in my practice, verbalized to me that they thought they were ugly because of the color of their skin. There were also those who said they wanted to be white because that was better. Our society is teaching our precious children these falsehoods and it is our responsibility to make it stop!

This post may seem that it is directed more toward white children, but it is directed to all children. White children, however, have the most to learn about this issue due to a long history of disregard and discrimination of people of color perpetrated from their white heritage. White children are crucial in using their privilege to change the future. It is never too early to start talking about race. It is important to make this an ongoing conversation and to point out injustices that you or they may witness. Expose your children to people of color through real life activities, literature, music, etc.

Something Happened in Our Town was written in 2018, but was relevant long ago and, unfortunately, continues to be relevant to the experiences of today. It was written for children ages 4-8, however, I believe it is a learning tool for those from ages 4-99. Something Happened in Our Town offers a brief history of slavery and segregation, describes exactly who white and black people are, brings police brutality and racial inequality into light and encourages children to stand up for others and be allies. That is a lot for one children's book to cover, but it addresses these topics beautifully and with compassion.

The authors skillfully pull in the perspectives of a white and a black family, which makes the book relevant for all children and helps us see the perspective of the "other." After all, that is a big piece we are lacking as a society. The authors do not shy away from the big issues, but address them in an age appropriate, direct matter. The illustrations reflect the intensity of the subject matter and include powerful silhouettes that have a strong emotional impact throughout the book. Anger surrounding racial issues is addressed in the story and the character explains how it can be used as momentum to improve the world.

The conclusion pulls together what the children have learned through the conversations with their families. The two children, white and black, are in school when an immigrant boy arrives as a new student to their class. They notice how other students are mistreating the new student, and stand up for him. A lesson we all need to learn and develop the courage to uphold. Those children were the start of a better pattern in their school, which can carry over to the larger community over time.

The authors have provided a note to parents and caregivers at the end of the book with resources to help us continue to have these conversation with our children.

Below I have activity and discussion ideas to take this conversation to a deeper level.

Activity and Discussion Ideas for Something Happened in Our Town- A Child's Story About Racial Injustice

My first suggestion is to provide many books to children that include different races of people. Provide a variety that discuss the life hardships of people of color, as well as those that have a main character of a different race, feeling and experiencing the same day-to-day things as they do. The idea being understanding sameness and celebrating difference.

In the activity below, I have included many ideas for discussion. This is a difficult subject to discuss with children and these are just some ways to approach this sensitive topic.

Materials Needed
1 brown egg
1 white egg
black marker
2 small bowls
paper towel

Directions
1. Have the child CAREFULLY draw faces on each of the eggs with a black marker.

2. Ask the child what is the same
between the outside of the two eggs.
Clue: both are eggs, oval, same texture, etc.
Ask them what is the difference between the two eggs.
Clue: they are different colors.

Ask them if they think they are the same or different inside?

3. Then, check it out to see!
Have the child crack one egg into each bowl.
Look at the eggs together. Are they the same inside?
Compare this to people who have brown skin and white skin.
Are all people the same outside? Nope.
Are all people the same inside? Yep.

Explain that some people, even some adults, even some policemen, don't understand that all people are the same on the inside and they treat people who look different on the outside unfairly. Refer to the policeman in the book.

Do you think that people with different colored skin should be treated differently? Why? Why not?

So, our job, because we know that people are the same on the inside, is to stand up for those people who may be treated unfairly just because of the color of their skin. Discuss how the kids in the book did this with the new student.

Then, go deeper with the discussion. Why are people different colors?
People are different colors depending on where in the world they, or their ancestors, were born. Discuss where the child's ancestors were born and relate it to the color of their skin. Explain that most white people's ancestors are from Europe or other countries where the people are mostly white. Black people's ancestors are usually from Africa, Haiti, or the Caribbean. There are also people of other colors that come from different places in the world too. (A globe or world map can be helpful with this discussion.) But now, since their ancestors came to this country, many people of different colors are born in America, just like you(if that is true for them.)

Now, let's go even deeper. Should we pretend we don't notice that their skin is a different color?
No, we should celebrate all of our differences. Your skin color depends on where your ancestors are from. For that reason, skin color does make us different in ways that we can celebrate and enjoy about each other.

The fact that most of our ancestors are from different countries can bring with it different traditions like, food, music, art, rituals, religions that different families enjoy about their heritage. We wouldn't have the privilege to enjoy going to Chinese, Mexican, Indian, Moroccan, Ethiopian, or many other kinds of restaurants if people didn't bring these recipes from their native countries. What are some things that our/your family eat or does that have come from where you or your ancestors were born?

Ancestors also bring with them their history of experiences that can make life harder for them and the generations that come after them. One example of this is slavery, like we read about in the book. Many people with black skin had ancestors that were brought to the United States from Africa as slaves. They were treated very poorly by the people who were already here from Europe. Slavery finally ended, but black people still haven't caught up to having the same opportunities or being treated as well as white people.

These discussions don't have to be done all at once. This is the type of discussion that needs to be done repeatedly throughout the life of a child/adolescent/young adult. Children as young as 3 years old are aware of differences of skin color. Nurturing an understanding of others, empathy, and a sense of justice in our children will go a long way in helping to make the world a better place for ALL people.

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Grumpy Quarantine Monkeys

5/18/2020

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A Book Review of Grumpy Monkey

Grumpy Monkey
Written By: Suzanne Lang
Illustrated By: Max Lang
Published By: Random House Children's Books

Call it psychologist's intuition, but I have a hunch that we have a good number of "grumpy monkeys" swinging around our households these days. I might even guess that all of those "grumpy monkeys" are not little, but some are big, like older siblings, moms, dads, and even grandparents! I could be wrong, but just saying...

-with constant togetherness,
major changes in routine,
boredom,
fewer emotional and social outlets,
worry about the future,
money issues, etc.,

I would venture to guess that grumpy monkey business is now at an all-time high! In other words, it is likely that we are all going bananas! For that reason, I have decided to review the Grumpy Monkey book this month for all of you "grumpy monkeys" out there (well, and here too!)

Grumpy Monkey is a New York Times bestselling picture book that addresses that vague, all-the-big-feelings-at-once mood of GRUMPINESS. Jim Panzee had a day where nothing felt quite right. His jungle friends noticed his grumpiness, but Jim was in denial and insisted repeatedly, "I am not grumpy!" They pointed out his body language that showed otherwise. Marabou said, "You're all hunched," so Jim straightened his body. Lemur noticed that Jim's eyebrows were all bunched up and snake noticed a frown on Jim's face. Jim changed his body language, but the jungle friends knew that he was pretending. Even though he was trying not to look grumpy on the outside, Jim still felt grumpy on the inside. However, Jim still insisted that he was NOT grumpy.

Sound familiar? Many times we don't notice ourselves feeling or acting grumpy. Children, as well as adults, tend to deny being grumpy when its pointed out. But grumpiness not only affects ourselves, but those around us, and sometimes it's even catchy! Grumpiness is often so many feelings lumped together into one that it is difficult to recognize in ourselves and even more difficult to pinpoint the cause.

The animals couldn't understand why Jim was grumpy because it was such a beautiful day. The jungle friends tried to cheer him up, suggesting a mountain of ideas, but Jim didn't feel like doing anything. All of their suggestions were things that made his friends feel happy, but not Jim, especially not on this day. The efforts of his friends became increasingly annoying and Jim reached his limit. Finally, his mood escalated further and he went BANANAS, screamed at the top of his lungs, "I AM NOT GRUMPY!" and stormed off.

After feeling bad for yelling at his friends and noticing that his friend, Norman, had become grumpy too, Jim finally accepted that he was grumpy. Accepting that feeling for himself, and his friends acknowledging his feeling, when he was ready, was all he really needed to start to feel a little better.

In this book, Suzanne Lang promotes social-emotional learning by showing children the importance of reading other's body language. Another important emotional lesson is that sometimes cheering up is not what we need. Sometimes, we just need to feel grumpy and for that to be okay. Accepting your own and acknowledging other's feelings, when they are ready, can go a long way in being able to sit with your feelings and start to feel better.

The illustrator, Max Lang, does a beautiful job portraying the distinct facial expressions and body language of Jim and his jungle friends. The illustrations are vivid and fun, adding to the enjoyment of the story.

Suzanne and Max Lang have created a series of Grumpy Monkey books that are equally enjoyable. Check them out at https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/222967/suzanne-lang.

Below I have an activity suggestion to go along with the book!

Activity Idea for Grumpy Monkey

We are going to make a Grumpy Monkey mask, so your child can hold it up when he/she is feeling grumpy and doesn't want to be bothered. They may even lend it to you, or other members of the family, when they notice you are having a grumpy day. Maybe it will help lighten the mood!

Materials Needed:
-printed copy of monkey face from this link https://www.firstpalette.com/pdf/monkeymask.pdf
-black marker
-scissors
-crayons
-glue
-tape
-paper plate
-craft stick or straw

Directions:
1. Print out copy of monkey face through link above

2. Cut out monkey face

3. Turn monkey face upside down, trace details of face with only the outline, the nose and the ear details with black marker (you may have to hold it against a window with sunlight to see the lines)

4. Using the book cover as a reference, draw a GRUMPY face on your monkey. Talk about what makes him look grumpy
(bunched eyebrow, scrunched eyes, frown)

5. Color the monkey face

6. Turn the paper plate upside down and glue on monkey face

7. Cut out the eyes
(Adult may need to use smaller, sharper scissors or X-acto knife for this)

8. Glue or tape stick or straw onto the other side of paper plate

9. Finished project! Hello there Grumpy Monkey!!

10. -Talk to the child about the last time they felt grumpy, when they have noticed you, or someone in the family, feeling grumpy, and how they could tell the other person was grumpy.

-Talk about body language, as well as, actions.

-Then ask, what do you think was making you or the other person feel grumpy?
Have you noticed it more during this pandemic? Why do you think?

2 Comments

When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade!

4/17/2020

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A Book Review of When Grandma Gives You A Lemon Tree

When Grandma Gives You A Lemon Tree
Written by: Jamie L.B. Deenihan
Illustrated by: Lorraine Rocha
Published by: Sterling Children's Books

I decided to review When Grandma Gives You A Lemon Tree this month, as life has given us all so many lemons through this Pandemic, we might drown in lemonade! All of our best laid plans in the past month, or more, have been turned upside down. This pandemic has brought much disappointment, among many other feelings, to all of us, even the youngest among us.

Schools and day cares are closed, meaning time with friends, relationships with teachers, special school events and our day to day routines-CANCELLED. Extra classes and team sports-CANCELLED. Holidays with family and friends-CANCELLED. Playing with friends in the neighborhood-CANCELLED. Time with Grandma and Grandpa-CANCELLED. Their 5th birthday party-CANCELLED. And that doesn't even count Mom and Dad's disappointments!

These disappointments and major changes in routine have a big impact on young children too, who don't fully understand why this is happening OR, more specifically, why so many things are NOT happening!

In my practice, I have found that young children are usually adept at understanding and identifying general emotions, such as, happy, sad, scared, and mad, but are less adept at understanding more specific emotions such as DISAPPOINTMENT. Sure, we are all feeling all of those general emotions right now and disappointment can be a combination of some of those. However, the more specific a young child can be about understanding and articulating exactly how they are feeling, the less the likelihood of major meltdowns. Not to say, meltdowns are not going to happen, but an increased feelings' vocabulary will help to decrease the incidence and intensity of those meltdowns. For example, if a child's plan for a day at the beach is ruined due to the rain, if they are able to verbalize "I'm so disappointed that it's raining and we can't go to the beach," the fallout will be much less intense.

When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree is a well-written, entertaining story for children ages 4-8. It breaks the 4th wall in writing, meaning it addresses the reader directly which pulls the reader into the story. The book is about a young girl with a birthday wish list, filled with many fun technology choices. However, on her birthday, she is surprised by her grandmother with none other than a . . . LEMON TREE! Needless to say, our protagonist was quite DISAPPOINTED.

Ms. Deenihan, the author, uses much humor in discussing the appropriate response to give Grandma and what you should NOT do with the lemon tree. When our protagonist's friends are all playing with their technological toys, the lucky, lemon tree girl is learning to care for her lemon tree and is not particularly happy about it! The feelings in the book are depicted beautifully by the illustrator, Lorraine Rocha, which add much spunk to the story.

Once the fruits of her labor start to appear, our main character starts to see the joy in a caring for a tree, and grandma teaches her what she can do with those fruits--make lemonade of course! Conveniently, the author shares a recipe for lemonade, so the readers can make it too!

Our protagonist sells her lemonade, with the help of Grandma, through a lemonade stand, bringing joy to many in the community. And . . . she is able to use the money from the lemonade stand to . . . buy something on that long, NOT-forgotten birthday list! Literally, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade (and sell it!) Well, while shopping for her new technological toy, an added message is born in the book which fosters a sense of community and finding joy in activities outside of technology.

I strongly recommend that you buy this book or borrow it from your local library(when you can!) to benefit from these amazing messages, especially during these tough times.

Introduce the word "disappointment" to the child and discuss his/her specific disappointments since the Pandemic began. Share with them some of your own disappointments. I have added an activity below to go along with the story to help your child discuss his/her recent disappointments and ways of coping.

Activity Idea for When Grandma Gives You A Lemon Tree

First of all, MAKE LEMONADE!
If you haven't had a chance to pick up the book yet, here is a recipe. https://wisconsinhomemaker.com/state-fair-lemonade-recipe/

Second of all, MAKE A LEMON TREE!

Materials Needed:
This month, since we can't really get out to buy supplies, we might have to improvise with the supply list. Use whatever you have around the house that will work-be creative! This project is a little more time consuming than many I have suggested in the past. Feel free to complete it over several days.

-large paper or poster board
-twig (Getting the kids outside to explore for a perfect "lemon tree" twig could be beneficial! If not, cut brown construction paper or paint a trunk.)
-green tissue paper or construction paper cut into small squares
-printed lemons https://www.freeprintable.com/print/free-printable-name-tags/lemon-tag
-printed lemonade pitcher
https://onemamasdailydrama.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/lemonade-color-savings.pdf
-scissors
-glue (strong glue or hot glue gun for twig and elmer's or glue stick for everything else)
-black marker
-crayons or markers
-construction paper for pot
-stickers (optional)

Directions:
1. Cut a large sheet of paper from a roll or use a poster board.

2. Have child find a "lemon tree" twig outside or cut contruction paper in the shape of a trunk. Drawing or painting it will also work.

3. Glue the twig to the bottom of the paper using strong silicone glue or a hot glue gun.

4. Draw a circle on top of the twig similar to the shape of a lemon tree as a guide.

5. Cut green tissue paper or construction paper
into small squares.

6. Glue squares on guide line around tree and fill in. Make sure to overlap the squares. It helps to make a thin line of glue and add a few squares at a time, instead of one at a time.

7. Print out the lemon template.

8. Talk to the child about his/her disappointments during this pandemic and write each one with a black marker on each lemon.

9. Cut out lemons.

10. Glue lemons onto tree.

11. Print out lemonade pitcher and cut out pitcher with the lines.

12. Talk to child about how he has coped with these disappointments or how he can cope in the future. Write them down for him/her about each of the disappointments.

13. Color lemonade.

14. Cut construction paper in shape of a pot or just a rectangle is fine. The child can decorate the pot by coloring or with stickers if desired.

15. Put a stripe of silicone or hot glue on both sides of the pot and glue to bottom of twig, pushing it in slightly so it buckles up in the middle.

16. Finished lemon tree!!!

17. Enjoy!