Counselor's Lesson with Mrs. Petri
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6
Today’s lesson focused on a word we are all familiar with: WORRY! Webster’s definition is “ a state of anxiety and uncertainty over actual or potential problems!” The characters of our story today, The Worrywarts by Pamela Duncan Edwards demonstrated in a lighthearted and whimsical way what worry looks like, sounds like, and even feels like.
The students were able to identify and share times they shared similar feelings and even the same behaviors as our characters. We all agreed this is a normal feeling but IF it prevents us from being our best selves then it’s the child’s job to help themselves and use a strategy so they are no longer stuck in a place that’s not letting each of them be their best self. The students and I reviewed 10 Specific strategies they can do themselves to help them. Please review with your child.
PINPOINT WHAT THE FEAR/WORRY IS
One of the most important things to do is to figure out exactly what is causing the anxiety. Is it fear of the dark? Is it a worry about something in the closet? Is it monsters? Is it spiders? Figuring out the cause of the fear will help you come up with ways you can help your child combat it.
Use Understanding and Supportive Language
Use the following phrases as a way to support your child, let them know that you’re going to support them and help them in any way that you can.
“I’m here for you”
“Talk to me and tell me what’s going on”
“How can I help?”
“Together, we can work on this. We’re a great team”
“I love you”
“Do you want a hug?
Quick Ways to Calm Down
Imagine your favorite place - it’s like taking a mini-vacation wherever you are
Think of your favorite things
Name animals alphabetically (alligator, bear, cow, dog, etc…)
Squeeze Something (playdough, clay, silly putty, your fists, a stress ball)
Get a Cold Drink of Water
54321 Grounding - go through each of your 5 senses
Give yourself a hug - squeeze tight!
Remember the words to a song you love
Do a hook up: Put your arms straight out in front of you, palms facing out. Put one hand over the other at the wrists and interlace your fingers. Swoop your hands and arms toward your body and then place your interlaced hands on your chest.
Cross your feet at the ankles and put your tongue on the roof of your mouth.
Stay still for one minute.
Make a Coping Skills Toolbox
A Coping Skills Toolbox is a kit that you create to help your child calm down when they are upset, anxious, or worried. In order to get the most benefit from this, you should create this kit before an issue occurs. When your child experiences anxiety, then they can pick out an item from their Coping Skills Toolbox. This is one of my favorite ways to help kids learn to calm their anxiety