Sarah Dobkin, LCSW

Here is my collection of stories to help explain to very young children some of the many impacts coronavirus/Covid-19 and shelter-in-place have had on our lives, and the various feelings they may be experiencing. These stories are designed to be edited by you and your children to line up with the details of your family’s specific situation. That means I encourage you to change “Mommy” and “Daddy” to what your child calls you, change “Aunt Jane” to a friend or family member who lives nearby, change the zoo and playground to your child’s favorite activities. In some stories I’ve underlined certain words you may specifically want to change. I’ve also intentionally left blank spaces for you to add photos or draw pictures that similarly represent your own experience — add a picture of your child doing their favorite activities, or the sign at the playground that says “Closed.” For preschool age kids, this might even be a project you could work on together.

I’ve also written a couple blogposts about getting ready to go back to school. For more on preparing, behaviors to look out for, and activities/strategies you can try, check out the blog.

For each story I’ve included links to a Google Doc and a Word Doc. To edit the Google Docs, select File > Make A Copy. Save this copy to your own Google Drive and edit away!

I would love your feedback on these stories! If you’ve used them, please tell me how it went!