Florida mom-of-two Shannon Q. McDonald wanted to find a way to tell her kids about face masks in kid-friendly language while also making them laugh at the same time. So she created Remember to Smile , a new full-color children’s picture book for kids ages 2-6 years old that describes and illustrates the different styles of masks, characters that wear them, when you can wear them, and interesting ways to use them. Colorful and funny illustrations bring the book to life and will have kids giggling on the floor. With rhyming and rhythmic text, it makes reading the book aloud even more fun.
As more and more places are requiring masks, and young children are having to experience so many new, confusing, and sometimes scary things, Remember to Smile adds playfulness and laughs around mask-wearing to help kids see masks as something fun. With the help of some giggles and an adorable wiener dog based on the author’s family pup, Remember to Smile will help children become more comfortable with the idea of face masks, and encourage them to keep smiling, even if it is hidden from sight.
I had a chance to interview her to learn more.
Why did you write this book and what do you hope readers take away from it? I wrote this book with my own children in mind, who are 3 and 5. Being that wearing face masks is a requirement in most places still, I wanted a way to talk to them about having to wear face masks but be able to do it in a kid friendly, light-hearted and fun way. I wanted to make them feel comfortable about the idea and highlight the creative and fun aspects of masks. I think the biggest take-away from the book is that we can always find a way to see the positives in any situation and learn to make the best of it.
- How can parents and caregivers make the idea of wearing masks easier on kids? As a parent I have found that the biggest motivator for my daughter has been letting her choose the masks in the color, pattern, characters that she likes - let kids use the masks as a way to express their individuality and have some selection so that it's like picking out a headband or hairbow. We even bought some Halloween themed masks and plan on buying some christmas masks as well to make it a little more festive - like wearing a christmas card on your face :) LOL
- How can adults give their kids age-appropriate information about Covid-19? I think that really depends on the child of course. For my kids I have approached it differently for each - My daughter being 5 and now back in a classroom wearing a mask daily, we talked about "the germs" and how they can spread and that this mask keeps everyone safe and keeps the germs from spreading. For her, that was enough to get the message across and I didn't feel there was a need to give more detail. For my son who was 2 at the time the pandemic really started, I have mentioned the idea of germs, however, he really could care less and would like to just play with his cars and trucks. So I have not pushed it, he is not in a daily classroom requiring he wear a mask and we mostly stick to outdoor activities for him. Again, I think every child and situation is different and parents know their kids the best and the right approach for each one. I like to always mention "when the germs are gone" to them when we talk about things, so they remember this is temporary and there is a light at the end of this germy long tunnel.
- What can adults do to help combat pandemic fatigue in kids? I know one thing that has helped is really trying new and different things, in part to help with fatigue and also because many of the things we used to do (Disney World, kid museums or gyms, birthday parties, etc) have all changed drastically and at one point, were not open at all. Living in Florida, we have been doing a lot more outdoor activities, beach days, pool time, outdoor scavenger hunts, beach yoga, joining a boat club, more bike rides. We took a 10-hour drive to the Blue Ridge mountains in Georgia this summer since we weren't able to fly back as usual to see family. The kids loved that and I don't think that would have necessarily been on our vacation list had this pandemic not happened. Trying some new and out-of-the norm activities seemed to help all of us with the fatigue caused by the pandemic.
A Midwest girl at heart, Shannon Q. McDonald is originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan. Not long after graduating from law school, she moved to California to work in entertainment law at WME. After a few years in California, she and her husband moved to South Florida to raise their own family. Along with daughter Sloane (5), son Sean (3) and their wiener dog, Rudy, they are now residents of sunny Delray Beach, Florida. When not balancing remote-school schedules and playdates, Shannon works as corporate counsel for a large technology and outsourcing company, Everise Holdings, while still maintaining her own law practice for select clients. Learn more about her book at remembertosmile.org and connect with her on Facebook.
Remember to Smile proudly supports the COVID-19 Relief Fund (for Teachers and Students) through the non-profit organization AdoptAClassroom.org. Visit remembertosmile.org to learn more.
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