NIH Offers New Free Guide To Help African American Families Cope With Crises

"Activity Book for African American Families: Helping Children Cope with Crisis," is a new free guide from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for African American parents designed to help them support their children in times of stress or crisis.

Produced by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI), the book was developed by the African American Parents' Project, a collaboration between families, professional organizations, and leaders of national African American organizations, to provide African American families and communities with activities and resources to comfort their children in times of crisis.

The project, begun shortly after the September 11th terrorist attacks, is designed to help African American families console their children who may become frightened by repeated media coverage of terrorism, war, and violence, and instill in them a sense of safety.

Duane Alexander, M.D., director of the NICHD, said, "This activity book is designed to empower families to address everyday hardships and also to strengthen families for times of major crisis."

Many of the activities tap into children's creativity -- drawing, coloring, singing, gardening -- which encourage children to let others know what's going on inside them in a safe, controlled way. Other activities encourage parents and children to read a poem or a story, or listen to a song as a way of refocusing children's attention on calming thoughts.

The "Activity Book" contains specific advice for parents about how to:

• Encourage their child to feel hopeful about the future
• Listen to their child
• Comfort their child
• Help their child feel good about him or herself
• Help their child feel safe
• Give their child information that is appropriate for her/his age
• Make a plan with their child for emergencies
• Share their faith with their child

The "Activity Book for African American Families" is free and can be ordered through the NICHD Web site, www.nichd.nih.gov or by calling the NICHD Information Resource Center at 1-800-370-2943 or via e-mail at NICHDInformationResourceCenter@mail.nih.gov.

Information on Helping Children Cope with Crisis is also available on the National Black Child Development Institute Web site at www.nbcdi.org.