You may have read about this very same concept described as a Feelings Box, Acceptance Box, or Anxiety Box. Put Things into Perspective - Without lowering your child's feelings, let them know that a lot of problems are temporary and solvable. For some children – just writing the worry was enough, for others they needed a minute or two with me to chat through something (I usually spoke to them quietly at my desk while correcting their copy or brought them outside while the other children were working.) This Worry Monster Worksheet is an excellent resource to have in your primary school classes to help children control their worries by writing them down.

Worry and anxiety has a big negative impact on sleep, and so helping children to relax slightly before bedtime is important. It is probably the most crucial time of the day to alleviate worry. Place them on the inside of the box on the top and repeat for the bottom. You’ll want enough space to have an “open” mouth, showing teeth.They could find all sorts of different things – leaves, nuts, grass, twigs, pine cones – whatever there is in your local environment for them to find. But this monster isn’t just a monster; it’s a reflection book for students to examine these things: We discussed the type of things that could be put in the worry box – problems in the playground/ in class/ finding something difficult etc. In practice When worry thoughts, frustration or overwhelming feelings strike, your child (or you, if your child needs help) can write them down on a piece of paper and store them away in their worry box (or whatever container you chose).

A child with perfectionist tendencies starts to feel anxious over making a mistake. The child says to the worry, “Mr. Perfect, I know you are trying to tell me mistakes are bad but I know that it is ok to make a mistake. I am not going to listen to you.” As a parent, you might say, “Mr. Perfect, I see that you are trying to tell [child’s name] that he has to be perfect, but we all know that nobody is perfect and that is ok.”The children, at least when they get good at it, will each say a worry, and then place an object into the worry monster’s mouth. Natural objects are also a good choice, as they have calming textures in the hands. Things like leaves or conkers would work well, as would many other types of loose parts materials. 3. Emotion Pebbles

It’s a good idea to use the worry monster pretty soon after the hunt for added motivation and engagement. 5. Make A Worry MonsterPlace a dab of glue above the open mouth in the center of the box for each eyeball. Place the eyeballs on the box. The character can then be brought to life in situations where your child appears to be worrying. For example, if you notice your child is nervous in the car on the way to an after-school club you can use this idea to discuss their anxiety non-judgementally. For example, you may say things such as “is the worry monster bothering you?” or “has the worry monster come to visit again?”. This can help your child to separate themselves from the feeling of anxiety, and to see that it is not fundamental to who they are: it comes and goes, and they do have power to influence it. In this particular small group activity, students each create their own unique worry monsters, choosing from different bodies, eyes, mouths, arms, and even legs. Some students make worry monsters that look quite scary while others make worry monsters that appear friendly, and that’s okay. It will allow you to talk about emotions (worries, frustrations, anger, insecurities) while you engage in a fun activity. For a child, it is normal to experience worry, particularly as they begin to explore the world and develop their own sense of identity. Children may worry about many different things, and whilst these worries might seem harmless to us as adults, they can cause a child a great deal of distress. Sometimes these worries can be so upsetting that it can affect their day-to-day activities, making them harder to carry out or enjoy. For example, they might be worried about an upcoming test at school which may lead them to want to avoid attending, or they may be concerned about a friend’s upcoming birthday party.

Passing round a designated box or basket as a circle time, and placing an object into it, whilst linking it to a worry, will work in just the same way as the monster. It could be quite simple differently colored pebbles. Or they could have simple writing patterns on them, maybe things like swirls or zig-zags.Model one of yours. It might be, ‘I’m worried that I have so much work to do today, and I won’t be able to get it done.’ Then put a wood slice into the worry monsters mouth. It has ‘eaten’ that worry. This is perhaps best done as a group activity, first thinking about what each of them is worried about, talking it through a bit, and then drawing what that looks like to them. It doesn’t have to look like a masterpiece of art – the emphasis is on the psychological benefits of this experience. Often children might repeat worries they have mentioned previously. Repetition like this is really positive, and helps to process things more clearly.