Resources
for Parents and Caregivers

A place for extra resources of all kinds: lesson plans, presentation slides, discussion guides, and more.

How to Talk to Young People About Climate Emotions

Access the guide here in English and en Español.

Intended for parents and caregivers of youth ages 8–18.

By Climate Mental Health Network and Talk Climate, 2023.

Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Climate Just-The-Facts Talk Script for Elementary School Students

Here’s a script for how to start the conversation with children in elementary school. In English here and en Español aquí.

This document is adapted by Anya Kamenetz from a 2022 presentation at the NSF Design & Discovery Forum On Climate, Children And The Media by by Claudia Benitez-Nelson, professor of Earth, Ocean and Environment at the University of South Carolina; Kate Marvel, climate scientist at Project Drawdown; Judith Van Hoorn, developmental psychologist; and John Fraser, conservation psychologist, educator and CEO of Knology.

By Climate Mental Health Network, 2023.

Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Climate Just-The-Facts Talk Script for Middle and High School Students

Here’s a script for how to start the conversation with children and adolescents in middle school or high school. In English here and en Español aquí.

Climate change is affecting our children’s and adolescents’ mental health. But caring, supportive adults can help. We can listen and be a sounding board for young people’s concerns, provide context for what is happening with the climate, talk about progress and solutions, and support young people to cope and stay mentally healthy. This scripts provides essential talking points and questions to help talk to children and adolescents.

By Climate Mental Health Network, 2023.

Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Tips for Talking Climate with Kids

A one-page sheet of quick tips – the ABCs and Ls – for talking climate with kids. Check them out here.

Tips were developed by Dr. Lise Van Susteren, and the sheet was created by Climate Mental Health Network, 2023.

What is Climate Distress and How Can Parents Support Their Children?

Access the e-book here.

This e-book was created for parents to learn more about emotions, coping, and resilience in the context of climate change.

You might also want to read the companion e-book,”How Does Ki Feel? A Conversational Book“, which is a drawing, colouring and story book designed to facilitate conversations between adults and young children who sometimes struggle finding the right words about feelings about to climate-related events and experiences. Parents may use this resource to talk with their young children about feelings and emotions. We hope these resources will help parents navigate challenging times, such as when they are recovering from an extreme weather event or navigating various aspects of the climate crisis.

This book was created by Stefania Maggi and McKenna Corvello with support by Mochi4ThePlanet, a research and knowledge
mobilization project funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). For more information, visit www.mochi4theplanet.com/

This booklet is a free resource with no copyright restrictions. Feel free to use and distribute without limitations.

What to Do When Climate Change Scares You: A Kid’s Guide to Dealing With Climate Change Stress

View sample pages here. Available for purchase here.

Format: Paperback
Publication date: September 2024
Published by: Magination Press (American Psychological Association)

An all-new What To Do workbook! What To Do When Climate Change Scares You is the first book of its kind to offer age-appropriate coping tools for six to twelve-year-olds experiencing eco-anxiety.

This groundbreaking new workbook uses evidence-based activities and practices along with approachable illustrations and language to distill this complicated topic for young minds. In addition to identifying and working with eco-emotions, kids are encouraged to find ways to participate in creating a healthier world without placing the burden on their young shoulders. Feeling empowered to make a difference is an essential coping strategy.

The groundbreaking, best-selling What to do Series has helped millions of children with many different kinds of anxiety.