- [Narrator] During theseuncertain times, kids are dealing

with more fear andanxiety than ever before.

Parents are searching forways to ease those fears.

Emmy award winner, best-selling author

and mother of three ElisabethHasselbeck wants to help.

In her book, "Flashlight Night,"

an adventure in trusting God.

Hasselbeck encourages kids to have faith

and hope in God knowingthat He hears our prayers,

even when we don't see an answer.

- Well, please welcome to theshow Elizabeth Hasselback.

Elizabeth thank you so muchfor being with us today.

- Thank you for having me.

It's a joy to be here so much, thank you.

- Of course.

- We have big snow storm here in Nashville

and our kids are all remote learning,

so if you hear any mathgoing on in the background.

- I love it, I love it.

Well, let's talk about yourkids, you have three children.

What are their ages andhow did they inspire you

to write this awesome kid's book?

- Well, we actually have the wall go

up when we first moved to Nashville,

so that's almost half a decade ago.

So we've been using this kind of just way

of praying with God and being honest.

Since we moved, we made some big prayers

at the time that we wereasking them to join us in.

And so that's where it all began

and then we decided to share the way

that we've been just talking to God

in a story of two friends

that put their worries out on the wall

and then get honest with God.

So the kids are now 13, almost 16 and 11.

And they were about nine, 11 and 13

when we first started or alittle younger than that.

So, and they still practice prayer display

and share their prayers this way.

And they have honestconversations with God

and that's goal because so manykids are A holding things in

and they have big worries,

they have big worriesbefore COVID, school stuff

and can they get Wi-Fi and willthey be able to have friends

or make friends duringthis time when they're all

behind masks and will,their grandparents make it.

In addition to like, will thiswhole COVID thing be over?

So I think just having away to get your worries out

and then get honest withGod when it doesn't feel

like those prayers arebeing answered right away,

that's the goal.

God really placed in ourheart in "Flashlight Night,"

because trusting God can feellike an adventure sometimes.

- [Interviewer] Yeah, absolutely.

And that is the famous chalkboard, right?

Right behind you.

- Yes, let me just say likeparents you do not have

to go make a wall in your house

and go paint a chalk boardblack or navy, whatever

you don't have to do that.

Like we have friends, wecan send them contact paper,

they do contact paperon the back of a closet.

We also, the inside of "Flashlight Night,"

we designed it so thatthis is actual chalk paper.

So I've seen so manyparents sharing on Instagram

And so many kids they're writing here

actually it's precious.

It's like, just to see their words like

about a school project andCOVID and a friend in an injury

like able to write in hereand then take your flashlight.

The goal of, "Flashlight Night,"is that we get to be honest

and real with this Godwho loves us so much.

So we can shine your lighton where you see Him working

and then you can click it off

and say God we've beenpraying about this thing

and a friend getting healing.

And we'd been praying thatCOVID's over right now

and that school can be normal again

and that thing feels likea flashlight off right now.

So it doesn't feel great, it feels dark

yet we choose to trustthat you were there working

on it on our behalf becauseyou care for us, God

and we're gonna trust in your character.

So that's the process, likeadmitting where it feels dark

and not giving up on trust.

- Yeah definitely,

well we are obviouslyfacing a lot right now.

We have in 2020, and weare continuing to in 2021

a lot of parents choose tohide things from their kids.

In your opinion do youthink that's a good way

to protect your kids frombeing fearful or worried

about what's going on around them?

- I don't have this all figured out,

like most parents, wehave never done a pandemic

with kids or teenagers ortoddlers or ourselves before.

So we're just all like treading water,

like do you have any ideas for me?

I've got a couple of thingsthat I know work for me.

I'm an out loud, get it outlike, let's talk about it,

dive into the situation.

I'm a passionate personand I also know the feeling

like when you carry worryalone, like that's the enemy

and that's the lie that youhave to deal with this alone.

If you just keep it inthere alone, it'll go away.

Wrong, gets bigger and heavier

and so the goal is for usto get these things out.

So I think right now, interms of information coming

into your kid's head, we kindatreat it like steak, okay.

Like what they can take intheir mouth, in their bodies

what they can chew, what they can digest.

That's the amount of informationthat you know specifically

'cause God has made you their parent,

you know what their hearts can handle.

So it's not always an age thing

it's like, can they chew on this?

Can they swallow this?

Can they digest this?

And is it gonna disrupt their insides?

And so I think giving kids information

like that has been just howGod's given me a way to say

you need to know this is going on.

I also think you are theirprimary source of information

and so finding a wayto present them things

that they need to know beforethey go out in the world.

With what God thinks about it,

what our family says about it

and then what you might hear about it

and then asking them like,what have you heard about that?

Like, that is so great,like tell me what you know,

tell me what you've heard about this.

So I think part of our duty

as parents is to not besecondary sources of information

but to be primary sources in a loving way

that our children weknow can digest it well.

And then continuing the conversation,

you're not just havinglike world war Wednesday

and okay we're only gonna talkabout this on certain times

like just kind of thread it

as God gives you the spirit of sharing.

Like, I really rely on God toprompt my heart to be like,

I really feel like thisshould come up right now.

And then you take thetemperature of your kids

and God knows you are supposed

to be guiding these children.

And so He's gonna give you what you need

to provide them with not only information

'cause here's the deal, there'sinformation in the world

and then there's the information, right?

And so what is gonna armyour kids with what they need

and ultimately some of it

is just gonna drag their souls down.

So I think it's justdeciphering what that is

giving them what they can digest

and then giving them awaylike a flashlight night

to process it out.

Not only with this isn't happening

but also shining your flashlighton the things that are

like having eyes for answered prayer

and gratitude is the best way

to combat any world of information.

- Amen to that.

Well, Elizabeth I wish we had more time.

Get Elisabeth's book, it iscalled "Flashlight Night,"

an adventure in trusting God.

I've read it, I am giving this to my niece

and my nephew who aresix and four years old.

Elizabeth, thank you somuch for being with us

and thank you for this book.

- Thank you so much forhaving me, God bless you all.

- [Interviewer] God bless you.