Further Reading & Resources for Parents, Educators, and Caregivers
If this reflection raises questions about how to support young people through fear, uncertainty, or conversations about immigration, safety, and belonging, I’m sharing a few creators and approaches I’ve found meaningful.
These are people whose work feels thoughtful, grounded, and genuinely useful for families and educators trying to navigate this moment with care.
Creators Sharing Books, Films, and Conversation Guides
Shares book recommendations and resources for helping children process difficult topics with honesty and compassion.
Offers curated reading lists and thoughtful reflections on supporting young people through social and political complexity. Their list includes some titles for older kids too.
Shares film, book, and cultural recommendations that help young people think critically about justice, identity, and power.
A Note on Supporting Middle School and High School Students
Most of the public resources I’ve found focus on younger children. Far fewer speak directly to teenagers and older adolescents, even though they are often the ones most exposed to news, social media, political rhetoric, and emotionally overwhelming content.
Drawing on my years teaching middle and high school, here are a few approaches I believe can be especially meaningful for older students.
Create Space for Dialogue, Not Silence
If students are talking about current events — even joking about them — that is often a signal that they are processing fear, uncertainty, or confusion. One restorative and developmentally appropriate response can be to create structured spaces for conversation, such as a circle, advisory period, or community dialogue, where students can share questions, thoughts, or emotions without being judged or forced into a particular stance.
Channel Energy into Purposeful Action
For students who feel politically engaged or eager to show solidarity, schools can explore appropriate, values-aligned ways for young people to express care and concern — whether through art, poster-making, student-designed campaigns, writing projects, or service-based initiatives developed in conversation with school leadership.
For many teenagers, having something constructive to do can transform anxiety into agency.
Teach Media Literacy as Emotional and Civic Skill
Older students are constantly absorbing information through phones and social platforms, not all of it accurate, contextualized, or healthy. This moment offers a powerful opportunity to teach media literacy — how to verify sources, question narratives, recognize misinformation, and distinguish between information that empowers and content that simply fuels panic.
One framing I’ve seen resonate is shifting from panic to power — encouraging students to ask not just “Is this shocking?” but “Is this true, and what can I responsibly do with this information?”
Encourage Emotional Regulation and Healthy Boundaries with Media
It can also help to normalize conversations about emotional well-being: limiting doomscrolling, taking breaks from constant news exposure, engaging in movement, creative work, or offline activities that help regulate stress and anxiety.
For teenagers especially, it matters to hear that stepping away from overwhelming content is not avoidance, but a form of self-respect and self-care.
Remind Students They Are Not Alone
Finally, older students benefit from being reminded — explicitly — that support exists. School counselors, trusted teachers, social workers, affinity groups, and community supports can all serve as anchors when fear, sadness, or anger feel heavy.
Sometimes the most meaningful message a young person can hear is: You don’t have to carry this by yourself.
