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.

Sherman-Lazar aims to be the first author to normalize these uncomfortable feelings in adults and how to respond to them.