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LET’S CHAT ABOUT THE STORY ~ IDEAS FOR TALKING WITH KIDS

Growth Mindset, Motivation, Trying, Emotions

1. When Flynn couldn’t fly the first time, he ran home crying. Why do you think he did that?

2. What made Flynn want to try again at flying?

3. What did Flynn do, to try and achieve his goal? Which of those things do you think was the most important to him succeeding? Why?

4. What do you think would have happened if Flynn had given up? Do you think this was a good option? 5. When do you think is the best time to give up?

Short bedtime story written by Glenn Francis F. Faelnar

Illustrated by Yesim Serce

Book Design by Jade Maitre

Music Video by Mana Two – Part 1 Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), Silver Blue Light Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), Screen Saver Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), Ascending the Vale Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

The post Flynn first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

Anger is often an unpleasant emotion, and it can be destructive—but it doesn’t have to be. How do we learn to harness our anger to build the world up instead of tearing it down? Here are ten of our picks for helping kids discover the positive power of anger. And, let’s be honest, the adults could use a refresher too.

‘The Angry Dragon‘ by Michael Gordon

“Why are dragons so angry? It turns out they might just be a little misunderstood. Kids will learn from this book that being angry doesn’t make you a bad person and that they can use it to help them get through disappointment and other difficult emotions.” Storyberries

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Angry Octopus by Lori Lite and Max Stasuyk

“Directed at kids ages 5-11, this book uses concepts of belly-breathing and self-calming techniques to provide a host of helpful tips for taking control of emotions before they take control of you. With tools for the mind and body, it will become a cherished part of any feelings-book library.” Storyberries

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Tiger Has a Tantrum by Sue Graves and Trevor Denton

“Tiger is in a terrible mood and it isn’t good news for any of his friends. With the help of a kind guiding influence, though, he might just learn to get his anger on a leash. A vividly rendered story, perfect for kids with a quick temper.” Storyberries

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Pause Power by Jennifer Law and Brian Martin

“Never underestimate the power of the pause! This fun and vibrant book teaches children about the “reset button” that can help them reframe the way they look at frustrating situations. Before they know it, they’ll be able to take the buttons that sometimes get pushed, and turn them into ways to reset and regroup, instead of react.” Storyberries

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Angry Cookie by Laura Dockrill and Maria Karipidou

“Can you help the angry little chocolate-chip cookie get back to smiling after a day that would test any pastry’s patience? With adorable illustrations and relatable situations, the author teaches kids that anyone can get angry—and learn how to overcome anger.” Storyberries

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The Angry Little Puffin by Timothy Young

“Wouldn’t you be pretty peeved if you kept getting mistaken for a penguin when you were in fact a puffin? This is the story of a fed-up puffin who finds that even the kindness and understanding of one person can change his world around. A charming reminder to children and adults of the immense power of a single act of generosity—even simply listening!” Storyberries

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The Angry Elephant by Hannah Kelly

“How do we deal with an angry elephant? Sometimes our anger can feel as big as an elephant. But we can tame it, and Hannah Kelly’s patient, lovingly drawn book is here to walk us through the process.” Storyberries

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My Body Sends a Signal by Natalia Maguire and Anastasia Zababashkina

“Our bodies alert us to all sorts of emotions—but how do we translate those signals into action? And how do we choose the actions that will be best for us? With vibrant illustrations, plus accompanying activities like feeling cards and coloring pages, this book will help kids and adults get in touch with their emotional sides.” Storyberries

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When I’m Feeling Angry by Tracey Moroney

“This comfortingly illustrated book guides kids through a series of actions for calming themselves down when anger seems about to overtake everything else. But really, it’s a fundamentally useful reminder for anyone who picks it up.” Storyberries

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Anh’s Anger by Gail Silver and Christiane Kromer

“What to do if the idea of going to sit at the dinner table makes you furious? It might be worth a try to go to your room and sit with that anger. This lovingly rendered story creates a blueprint for acknowledging, experiencing, and moving past feelings that might at first seem uncontrollable.” Storyberries

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Storyberries Books On Anger

Angry Little Dinosaur

Fred the dinosaur feels very frustrated. He can’t manage to tie his shoelaces. Fred becomes more frustrated and angry until it seems like everything is wrong . His Mum teaches him how to slow down, relax his body and breathe more calmly. Once Fred feels calm again, he enjoys himself once more!

Nin Wants to Get Dressed

It is Nin’s first day at school. She feels sad – she wants someone to help her put her new uniform on, but everyone is too busy. Nin patiently tries to put it on herself but it’s hard and she gets in a pickle! Her family appreciate her efforts and come to her aid. A delightful book for showing an alternative to getting angry when we feel frustrated.

No!

One day, Nosisi is in a NO mood. She wants to say “no” to everyone – that is, until she is offered an ice cream…Nosisi then decides that perhaps saying “yes” can be fun too!

The post Top 10 Books for When You’re Feeling Angry first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

Learning to express how we feel

As it is, we live in a culture that does not support pain. If from a very young age, we were taught to express and validate all the different shades of emotion, we would have greater capacity to face sadness without falling into depression, and have a better toolbox to face anger without becoming violent.

How does sadness manifest in kids?

When children feel sad they may be irritable, agitated, aggressive or hyperactive. On the other hand they may seem discouraged, withdrawn or reluctant to participate in activities that previously gave them pleasure. They may not want to join in a game, or they may give up very easily, even when encountering the least difficulty. We may notice them sleeping less or much more than usual, or see sudden changes in eating habits such as a loss of appetite.

Storyberries offers practical suggestions for helping children cope with sadness, as well as free online children’s books about different emotions, including sadness.

Naming emotions

Helping children identify their emotions by naming the emotions, and giving words for how they feel: “I understand that you feel sad …” or, “”This situation must have made you feel bad.”

Little by little children can be helped to recognize that there are words for what they are feeling, and that their feelings can be named and made sense of. This helps children to organise their experiences in their minds.

It’s okay to not feel okay

Making it okay to feel sad: we can explain that although sadness doesn’t feel good, it is normal to feel it from time to time, and that everyone, without exception, feels like this when they lose something, when they feel lonely or rejected, when they feel like they’ve done something wrong, or when something unpleasant happens.

Expressing how we feel in healthy ways

Expressing our own emotions in healthy ways so children can copy us: instead of hiding our feelings, phrases like: “I feel angry about what you did”, “Let’s talk another time, I am very upset …” or “I feel sad about the situation” are very powerful. In this way we show sadness to be a passing emotion, a temporary state of mind that does not go beyond a day or two at the most.

Encouraging kids to talk

Helping kids to identify negative thoughts. Storybooks are a really good way to discuss feelings, and so too is drawing. Listening and encouraging children to express their sadness and fears allows them to understand that we are all vulnerable, and that feeling sad or afraid does not equate to being weak.

Sadness also shows up in different ways in children, so when confronted with undesirable or unexpected behaviour, it helps if we can maintain a listening attitude. This allows us space to think, and to find out what is happening.

Validating and empowering

Validate feelings by recognising the sadness as real, and avoid downplaying (with phrases like “come on, this is nothing, it is just nonsense, do not get like that”, “go on, you’re whining again”, or “quit now.”)

Help find a solution: most problems have a solution, so as parents we can try to guide the child back to a state of serenity and happiness.

 

Resourcing kids for the future

When we are able to recognize the sadness that our kids face, and when we make it easier for them to express what they feel, we help to calm and lessen the heavy feeling. Doing so also helps children develop their own resources for managing emotions and staying calm, which can help them in the future.

Please note that if a child continues to seem very unhappy, to behave in ways that are challenging or uncharacteristic, or if you are still worried, it’s a good idea to seek professional help.

Some Free Books About Sadness At Storyberries

Mama Chick’s New Easter Hat

When Mama Chick feels sad, her children help to brighten her day. As they look around the farmyard to find beautiful flowers to decorate her hat, their show of love and care makes everyone feel happy.

Ollie is Scared

In this story Ollie feels sad because he is afraid of being bullied at school. His mum helps him to talk about his feelings..Then they meet his teacher and together they come up with a good plan that helps all the children.

The Letter

Often sadness is accompanied by other feelings such as hurt, anger or frustration. It can be hard for children to express how they feel, especially when the sadness involves people they love. In this beautifully written and illustrated story, Julia finds a way to express her sadness about her parents’ separation, by writing them a letter.

Who Stole Bhaiya’s Smile?

Bhaiya has been feeling the weight of sadness for so long, it’s become a depression. For Bhaiya it feels like he has a heavy monster on his back. Bhaiya’s family and friends all want to get rid of the monster so they can see Bhaiya smile again, but it isn’t that easy. In time, they learn to accept and welcome Bhaiya exactly as he is, and then his feeling of sadness starts to lift.

Article by Luzmery M. Romero Gamboa and Fleur Rodgers

Luzmery works in the area of clinical psychology as a psychotherapist for children, adolescents and families. Since 2016, she has run a Psychological Center in Venezuela called Psicoluz. She offers workshop facilitations to parents, is involved in recreational activities for children, and has been working as a freelancer since 2017 performing online psychotherapy. 

Fleur is a meditation teacher in France and uses a compassion and loving-kindness based approach to meditation and slow-minded living. Fleur posts regularly to Instagram @rodgers.fleur . She has two children, is a qualified teacher in adult education and is the founder of Timeouttobreathe.com 

The post Helping kids understand and cope with feeling of sadness first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

How to best approach an anxious child

It helps if we can stay calm and be reassuring, as our own fears can otherwise worsen the situation. Getting down to the same level, making reassuring eye contact, and holding hands if you can, can all really help. Storyberries offers free children’s books on anxiety, and parenting tips to help parents support an anxious child.

Showing empathy

Anxiety is fear, so it helps for children to know that we understand and that we also feel fear sometimes. Once your child is calmer, you can give thought to possible solutions.

Being calming and soothing

Taking deep breaths together – breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. Calming with words may, or may not, help – when we are feeling very anxious we don’t always hear what is being said to us. 

Giving a hug can also be a useful way to calm the nervous system – through a reassuring hug we can transmit a sense of tranquility and safety.

Creating an action plan

You can help make a positive action plan with the child on what to do if the anxiety comes back again. Depending on the context (home, school etc.) the plan may involve breathing exercises, taking a short walk outside or drawing a picture. There are lots of possibilities.

Encouraging kids to talk

Helping kids to identify negative thoughts. Storybooks are a really good way to discuss feelings, and so too is drawing. Listening and encouraging children to express their fears allows them to understand that we are all vulnerable, and that feeling afraid does not equate to being weak.

Support for parents

Seeing your child suffer from anxiety can be very painful, frustrating and confusing. Parents usually wonder at some point if they are the cause of their child’s anxiety. Research shows that anxiety is often the result of multiple factors. Whatever the cause of your child’s anxiety, you can help ease it. You can also help your child to develop good coping and self-care skills. As with any childcare issue, don’t be afraid to ask for professional help.

 

Some Free Books About Anxiety and Fear At Storyberries

Scared Tumi

“Everybody gets scared. Mama says it’s okay. In this lovely, simple story, Tumi talks about the different things that scare him while his Mama reminds him that he is reassures him with her kind words and loving presence.

Ollie is Scared

Sometimes anxiety arises out of very real events that are happening to kids. In this story Ollie feels sick and too scared to go to school because he is afraid of being bullied. His mum helps him to talk about his feelings..Then they meet his teacher and together they come up with a good plan that helps all the children.

I Am Not Afraid!

In this delightful story, with gorgeous illustrations, a young girl faces her fear of the dark and discovers she has lots of courage!

Article by Luzmery M. Romero Gamboa and Fleur Rodgers

Luzmery works in the area of clinical psychology as a psychotherapist for children, adolescents and families. Since 2016, she has run a Psychological Center in Venezuela called Psicoluz. She offers workshop facilitations to parents, is involved in recreational activities for children, and has been working as a freelancer since 2017 performing online psychotherapy. 

Fleur is a meditation teacher in France and uses a compassion and loving-kindness based approach to meditation and slow-minded living. Fleur posts regularly to Instagram @rodgers.fleur . She has two children, is a qualified teacher in adult education and is the founder of Timeouttobreathe.com 

The post Helping kids cope with feelings of fear and anxiety first appeared on Bedtime Stories.