Teletubby and Yo Gabbagabba : Parent T.V. Cunundrums

For the very young, television watching is a double edged sword.  In today's family where it is assumed that both parents work outside the home, or a single parent must get through the day doing what they can to get everything done with some sanity, television since its dawn has been a blessing and a curse.
Do I let my child watch shows that I consider rubbish?  What is rubbish and what is educational and helping my child develop their school-readiness skills?
From BBC's Teletubbies to CBS's Sesame Street to Yo Gabbagabba, many children's programming aims to enhance child development, working on simple concepts such as language development, social skills, reading skills, relationships, ethics, pattern recognition, emotions and the like. 
Knowing how it is helping is part of the task of a parent.  Too much of anything is usually considered harmful;  thoughtful and attentive parenting is going to enhance the family system and help a child's development.  This includes television watching and any other form of media that may crop up.  There are video podcasts of sesame street and other children's shows as well, making these a mobile option.
My recommendation is to look into what shows are age and developmentally appropriate, what needs your child has and of course what they like and, if you are open to it, selecting viewing times which are limited and ideal to your schedule.  Televisions should not act as babysitters, but in a crunch as reality will dictate, doing taxes or making that important phone call for the duration of that time period would possibly be a well-thought out plan.  Viewing with your child to be familiar with the songs, the dances and the lessons learned would be of value as well. I personally like the animated shows  Arthur and Franklin, because they are based on books.  The characters  grapple with many common emotional issues.  They also entertain the parent, I have found!

Zero by Katherine Otashi

Zero looks at herself and sees nothing worthy compared to all the numbers.  It takes some great storying to show Zero that she is a hero.
This is a great compliment to One from the same author.  Self esteem, self worth and dignity are all fantastic themes in such simple and entertaining story telling.  I know that schools, children's programs and counsellors have used Zero and One to draw out lessons on these subjects.

One by Katherine Otashi

If you might be looking to address topics like self-esteem, bullies and having a social conscnience, then the book entitled "One" by Katherine Otashi is a perfect library resource.
What color is best, which is worst?  Red seems to think that it is the tops and lets every other color know that Red is the color to be.  When one color stands up to a bullying Red, what will happen?
This resource allows removal from the intimidating and personal facts of a bully in a child's life and brings humor and tenderness to a very real struggle many face.  I have known programs for self-worth, pink shirt-day assemblies and counsellors including myself to read this to students.

Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt

Have you ever been afraid to try something new?  IN an environment which every corner holds a threat?  This book addresses the most extreme cases of being restricted by fear and anxiety in a squirrel who positively commits to a life of self-preservation.
The book follows the regiment of Scaredy Squirrel, a rodent with a plan for every potential threat.  His intolerance to novelty goes awry when life throws him a curve ball and he must discover that his fears have kept him from living outside of the acorn tree, which has been his safe haven.

Children and adults may relate to this hilarious tale in examining the ridiculous ways we avoid harm, and shrink our world through anxiety.

Harry Potter Series by J K Rowling

I could not have a blog on helpful books in therapy  without my all-time favorite book series being mentioned.  Harry Potter and I were introduced in my 20s when the first movie came out.  This is a book written by J K Rowling and can even be read on ereaders now.   I was reserved about this book at first but once I read it, and the subsequent series, I was hooked to become one of its greatest fans personally.  What is even more wonderful is the amount of times I have used these books as reference in my practice, especially with teens.  The universal appeal makes it an easy reference in therapy.  I will attempt to draw out more about each book as to how it applies in this blog, but it is enough right now to say that Harry Potter is a great resource which needs to be read.

Ish by Peter Reynolds

Here is a book which I found interesting and poignant as the theme is around making your "mistakes" into masterpieces to celebrate.  A frustrated doodler is confronted by his sister's admiration of what he thinks are garbage drawings which inspires him.  This book would help children who are anxious about making mistakes, who struggle with perfectionism and what follows: procrastination.  Where this new-found freedom of expression takes him, is exciting and inspirational.   My wife found this at Value Village and I have used it with anxious children.

Itouch and Iphone & Ipad Content Filter

 Want to help protect your child or teen's eyes from inappropriate and potentially harmful content when browsing?  There's an app for that.
Safe Eyes Mobile http://www.internetsafety.com/iphonedemo.php
This app provides customizable filters for browsing with a mobile device.  There is a cost to this application which can be found on Itunes app section.

A Terrible Thing Happened

This blog will help me create a list of books, resources and information for the practice of child and youth counselling.  I am a counsellor in Canada and am practicing in a wonderful non-profit organization called Desert Sun Counselling Centre in British Columbia.

A Terrible Thing Happened by Margaret M. Holmes is a book that I often use in bibliotherapy to address the emotions attached to events which are difficult to talk about.  The story does not specify the event, instead it leaves the "terrible thing" to our imagination.
I appreciate the illustrations and the simple way of explaining the process of counselling to children, and vicariously to parents/care-givers who are helping a child heal from trauma.
The main character is Sherman Smith, a raccoon.  He, like many children and youth, has witnessed a terrible thing, and although he tries to push this terrible thing out of his mind, it plagues his emotions, his body and his brain.  He discovers that art and talking can help alleviate the power of the event.  At the back of the book are some instructions and information for those who support a child in this circumstance.
I recommend this book for a counselling library!  I found this book both online through Abebooks and in a second hand shop in both hard and soft cover.