Understanding and coping with feelings
Sometimes, it can be very difficult for us to make sense of big feelings like worry, anxiety, and stress. This is especially true for children. The exercises below will support you and your child to understand their feelings better, and to find ways to support them with those feelings
Support your child to create a colourful worry box out of a shoebox –
make sure there is a lid, so the worries can be kept safe. Talk to your
child about writing their worries down and put it in a box. Talk to your
child about when and how regularly they would like to go through the
worries with you. Have a conversation about how your child would like
you to respond to their worries and support them to write these in the
“Do’s and Don’ts” sheet below.
You could also make or buy a ‘Worry Monster’.
Practice some of these strategies with your child when they are calm.
Try them together when they are finding things difficult, perhaps when
talking through their worries, and see what helps.
Chat with your child about what makes them feel worried, angry, or sad.
Ask them next what helps them to feel better. Support them to design a
‘first aid kit’ of ideas for what to do when they’re struggling. This could be
a physical box with things that help (chewy sweets, bubbles to help with
breathing, a soft blanket etc.) or a drawing that reminds them to do the
things that help.
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