It’s no secret the coronavirus has caused a spike in mental illnesses like depression and anxiety in everyone, especially parents whose job became so much harder. And while this book’s message addresses those feelings, there’s also a universal appeal that is sure to ring true beyond the pandemic. It’s Okay to Not Be Okay illustrates the benefits of adults showing their feelings around their children. Sherman-Lazar maintains that children are going to see us crying, frustrated, angry about the state of our world, and anxious. These are feelings we shouldn’t try to hide from our children, but instead, tell them these feelings are normal. Our kids can then see how we deal with our emotions/mental health struggles and learn from us, so they know how to cope with emotions in a healthy way. This story stems from Sherman-Lazar’s personal background of repressing feelings in an attempt to portray a perfect emotional exterior. Like many other people, she grew up thinking her parents were perfect and she had to be, too. In an attempt to protect her, her parents only showed emotions of happiness. This resulted in unhealthy coping mechanisms, like her long struggle with eating disorders. Danielle Sherman-Lazar is a Mental Health Advocate and Mother to three daughters. She has been published on InspireMore, Scary Mommy, Bluntmoms, The Mighty, ellenNation, Project Heal, Love What Matters, Cafemom.com, Beating Eating Disorders, Her View From Home, Motherly, Sammiches and Psych Meds, Recovery Warriors, Kveller.com, Humorwriters.org, and That’s Inappropriate. She has also contributed and has been featured on Today Parents and the Today Show. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and her Blog. She loves to be in touch with her readers and anyone who needs hope or guidance. She writes about mental health and motherhood—a lot of time both together–her two passions in life. Danielle writes, works and lives with her family in the Tri-State area.