True or False
A kid's only job is to be a kid! This means playing, doing chores, going to school, and growing up big and strong.
TRUE! Kid's aren't responsible for fixing adult problems. They only need to focus on kid things!
Pulling air in, then pushing air out with a stuffy on your belly
Belly/Buddy Breathing
How do I know when I feel happy? (Hint: what happens in your body? What thoughts do you think? What actions do you take?)
Example answers: smiling, laughing, playing, good posture, heart feels light, thinking thoughts of love and thinking good things will happen
Stacy didn't talk to me at lunch.
Fact
I'm stupid since I failed my test
It's OK, I can study harder next time!
I am smart, I just made some mistakes.
This is just one test. No big deal!
Sometimes scary or unpleasant things happen, and it's important for us to talk about those things with safe people to feel better.
TRUE! When we talk about scary or not so nice things that happen, and talk about our unpleasant thoughts and feelings, in time, often those not so nice thoughts and feelings go away and we feel much better.
Crossing your arms over your chest, and tapping left, then right, then left, then right.
Butterfly hug
How do I know when I feel sad? (Hint: what happens in your body? What thoughts do you think? What actions do you take?)
Examples: Crying, pouting, body feels heavy, want to curl in a ball, think thoughts like "everything stinks", or "no one likes me"
I think Stacy hates me.
Opinion
My dad is screaming, I must be I'm a horrible person.
Examples:
Dad could be screaming because of something else. Just because he's yelling doesn't mean it's at me or because of me.
Dad's feeling frustrated or angry, but I am still a good person.
Kids need to hide their emotions so that they don't upset their parents.
FALSE! Part of a parent's job is to support their child. Even if something the kid talks about makes the parent feel sad or mad or scared, they always want to know so that they can help the kid. Parents can handle their own emotions, and kids don't need to protect them.
One example of Progressive Muscle Relaxation, or the process of sqeezing and relaxing your muscles over and over.
Pretending to squeeze and release a lemon
Cooked/uncooked spaghetti
Butterfly on your nose
Feet squishing in the sand
How do I know when I feel mad? (Hint: what happens in your body? What thoughts do you think? What actions do you take?)
I'm a bad kid.
Opinion
I'm not good enough.
Examples:
I am good enough.
I'm perfect just the way I am.
Everyone makes mistakes sometimes, but I am still loveable.
Sometimes kids do things to cause adults to make bad choices.
FALSE! Kids are never responsible for the actions of adults.
I can visualize a ____ and _____ place in my mind to relax
Calm and safe
How do I know when I feel scared? (Hint: what happens in your body? What thoughts do you think? What actions do you take?)
Examples: nervous tummy, heart racing, want to hide or curl up, thinking something bad will happen
Sometimes adults make choices that hurt other people.
Fact
If I was a better kid, my mom wouldn't have left.
Example Answers:
My mom made a choice that hurt me, but that doesn't mean it was my fault.
There could be a lot of reasons my mom left, and I am not one of them.
I am a good kid.
There's nothing I could have done to prevent what happened, and what happened doesn't say anything about me. It's just a choice my mom made on her own.
You are special and lovable.
TRUE! All kids are lovable, all kids are special, and all kids deserve to feel happy feelings, even if not so nice things have happened.
Name 3 things you can do at school to calm down
Anything can be an answer to this, as long as it helps relax and is something you can access at school.
How do you feel right now, and how can you tell?
Answer assessed by players!
It's my fault my parent left.
Opinion
I should have done something to make my family member stay.
Examples:
Everyone is responsible for their own choices, I can only do what I can do.
It's not possible to make someone do something, we all have the ability to make our own choices.