If your child often feels worried or anxious, and it’s upsetting them or making it difficult for them to think about or do other things, you can try making a worry box together. Using your worry box:The next time your child feels worried or anxious, encourage them to write the worry down on a piece of paper and slip it into the worry box’s opening. It can take a couple of weeks to establish this as a habit, so persistence is key. The worry box is ideal for a range of age groups. After the box is made, show your child how to use it. Tell her that when a worry pops up, she can write down or draw the worry and put it into the monster’s mouth. If necessary, you can write the worry for her, but you shouldn’t get into a big discussion about the worry at that time. The idea is that the child is learning to contain her worry with very little adult help. If your child prefers to fold or scrunch the paper before putting it the box, that is fine. The important part is that the worry is being released from the child into a container. Tell your child that the worry can be big or small and any number of worries can be put in at a time.

As a parent, you also need to be a skilled listener. Listen carefully to your child’s worries and don’t dismiss them or belittle them (e.g. “don’t be silly”). If you are looking for mindfulness crafts to do some work with your kids or students this can be a great project. help them to understand that thoughts are just thoughts, not real things that happen in the world, and that it’s possible to let them go During the review process, you could help them assess the severity of each worry by using a scale of 1 to 10. One is the least worried and 10 being the most worried.One alternative to a traditional, physical worry box is an imaginary worry box. This method may be more suitable for older kids who have developed the necessary imagination skills to visualise a mental box to store their worries. The ease of accessibility and portability of an imaginary worry box can make it an attractive option. However, it might not offer the same level of satisfaction or comfort that handling a physical box can provide. However, there are different approaches to the worry box concept that can be adapted to suit children’s different needs and preferences. Place a dab of glue on the top of the box. Place one of the curled pipe cleaners on top. Continue to make a cluster of curled pipe cleaner “hair” on top of the box. Some kids may find it difficult to use visualization techniques and will benefit from using an actual box. What do you think about the worry jar technique? In my experience, anxious kids really get into this technique and find it very helpful. Will you try it? Please let me know how it goes.

Should you look at what your child writes? Technically, no. The box is meant to be a safe place where the child can write down anything and not have it “discovered.” Instead, you could set up a worry time when your child can discuss her worries with you. Worry time is also a form of containment because it restricts the time the child can dwell on her worries with an adult. You can set up the time specially for the child, say from 4:00 to 4:20 every afternoon. If at 4:20 your child is not through discussing her worries, ask her to write down the worries and put them into the worry box. Tell her that she can take them out to discuss tomorrow at the same time.

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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. With your hot glue gun, place a line of glue all the way down the line of the white foam teeth that you cut out. Worry Box: In this post, you will learn what a worry box is, why it works, and what the best fit could be for your child. You will also learn how to make a cute Worry Monster Box, a fun activity for home or the classroom. What is a Worry Box? The children can even decide to tear it up and use it alongside this Throw Your Worries Away activity. How can I help my child to talk about their emotions? At my clinic, Everlief, a very high percentage of the children and young people I work with have sleep difficulties. Often the main cause is worry.

The simple-sounding idea of putting a written worry in a worry box (containment) comes from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which is widely regarded as the most effective way to manage anxiety in both children and adults. Before learning to make your own worry box, let’s learn more about containment and why it is so effective. Containment With your pencil, trace the bottom of the paint tube to make two big pupils. Cut out the eyeballs and cut out the pupils. Set aside.Better understanding of our thoughts and feelings is part of emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence and positive mental health are closely linked. Emotional intelligence is a protective factor for depression, anxiety and stress. Worry Boxes as a Sleep Aid You can also use a jar, an envelope, or any container that serves the same purpose of storing worries away. A worry box is a simple yetpotent therapeutic tooldesigned to help children manage their feelings of anxiety and overwhelm. By creating a physical space to store their worries, your child can symbolically let go of their concerns, allowing them to feel lighter and more in control. Worry Boxes as Part of Your Child’s “Coping Menu” Although it may be hard for your child to let go of their worry, if you consistently emphasise that you are “holding” the worry and they don’t need to, they stand a good chance of being able to release it eventually. Variations on the Worry Box Worry Journal This is not easy to do when you feel worried about something. Asking them to stop thinking about it may even make them more focused on the worries. They may feel it is an “unfinished business” or they may worry they will forget about it.

Children will feel more in control (and have fun) if they are the ones to make their own container to hold their worries. You can make a worry box out of any kind of container, such as a tissue box, a chip container or a tin can. This worry box is designed to look similar to the big green Worry Monster in the author’s book. The difference between a worry box and a Worry Monster is that the worry box holds your worries for you (a good thing) and the Worry Monster takes the worries in so he can grow bigger and scare you more (not so good). Using the box and writing down your problems on paper also helps to turn something intangible into something they can actually touch, work with, and control. This worry bag activity is a great one to use with your class to help them think about and discuss their emotions. It can be used as a morning starter activity to set them up for their day, or even as a standalone lesson alongside this Emotions PowerPoint. Now imagine that the mature dandelion seeds are worries. With the slightest provocation and without a container, worries can scatter everywhere. The worries can spread to bother a person at night, in school, at work and with friends — really, anywhere and anytime. If you were able to hold the worries in a container, they would feel manageable. You know you cannot contain mature dandelion seeds, but you can contain worries! How to contain worries Very often I find that children take on adult worries. For example, they may worry about a parent’s health or their family’s financial difficulties.Overall, you are teaching your child that they can be in charge of their worried thoughts, rather than the worried thoughts controlling them. Related Articles 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).