I'm Stretched

Julia Cook's I'm Stretched! is really good, y'all! We know our kids are stressed. This book both normalizes stress and provides ideas for not letting it get to you. I recommend it for 3rd-5th grade. I often feel like books about kids being stressed focus too much on extracurricular activities (which my students were rarely involved in) but this book felt very relatable for lots of different kiddos. I also love that it included family conflict as one of the stressors.

Sara Cottrill-Carlo
School Counselor, Instagram @theresponsivecounselor

If you aren't overwhelmed by all your own responsibilities and tasks, you surely know someone who is. Children are not always equipped to manage the emotions that arise from the stress and anxiety of taking on so many things. This is a fantastic book for helping children balance these things in a healthy way. As a teacher and mom, I feel like kids' responsibilities pile up (and it seems to get worse as each year passes). Life's demands are never-ending. It's a must-have book if you're a parent, teacher, of counselor. It's not a matter of "if" you'll use it, it's a matter of when.

Kristen Tulisan
School Counselor, Instagram @kirstenskaboodle

I'm Stretched by author Julia Cook does a beautiful job of talking about how activities, studies, social commitments, and family obligations can sneak up on our children and make them feel stretched! What's better than naming it is the short to the point ways that one can work on reducing the stress from feeling stretched! This book is perfect for parents to explore their children's stress level. It's time to start the conversation to counter the stress normalization!!

Stephanie Heitkemper
LPC RPT