Helping Children to Cope with Change, Stress and Anxiety

143 Pages·2010·1.83 MB·English

by  Deborah M. Plummer

Helping Children to Cope
with Change, Stress and Anxiety
bythesameauthor
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2ndEdition
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IllustratedbyAliceHarper
ISBN9781843104889
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Using Interactive Imagework with Children
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ISBN9781853026713
Helping Children to Cope
with Change, Stress and Anxiety
A Photocopiable Activities Book
Deborah M. Plummer
Illustrations by Alice Harper
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
London and Philadelphia
Firstpublishedin2010
byJessicaKingsleyPublishers
116PentonvilleRoad
LondonN19JB,UK
and
400MarketStreet,Suite400
Philadelphia,PA19106,USA
www.jkp.com
Copyright©DeborahM.Plummer2010
Illustratorcopyright©AliceHarper2010
Allrightsreserved.Nopartof thispublicationmaybereproducedinanymaterialform(includingphotocopyingor
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Allpagesmarked(cid:2)maybephotocopiedforpersonalusewiththisprogramme,butmaynotbereproducedforany
otherpurposeswithoutthepermissionof thepublisher.
Libraryof CongressCataloginginPublicationData
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ISBN9781843109600
ISBNpdf eBook9780857003669
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Worries
Lastnight,Ihadasad,saddream.
Andthismorningitslippedintomypocketandgrew
…intoaworrythought.
Icarrieditaroundwithmeallday
…onthewalktoschoolandintheplaygroundandtheclassroom.
WhereverIwenttheworrythoughtcametoo.
EachtimeIlookedatthethoughtitseemedtogetabitbigger.
Itriedtokeepithidden.
Myteachersaid,‘You’requiettoday–
areyoufeelingill?’
Ididn’tknowwhattosay.
Theworrythoughtgrewheavierinmypocket.
Mystomachhurt.
Icouldn’tdomywork.
Ithought,‘Whatif mysaddreamreallyhappens?
Whatif it’shappeningrightnowandIdon’tknow?’
Theworryinmypocketgotevenheavier.
Welinedupforlunch.
Craigtuggedmyhairandsaid ‘Cheerup!’
Ipushedhimhardandshouted‘Goaway!’
Theteachercameandtookmefromtheline.
‘Ohno!’shesaid.‘Youmustn’t.
Thisisn’tlikeyouatall.’
Mumcametofetchmeathometime.
Icouldn’ttellherwhatwaswrongeither
…butshesawtheworryspillingoutfrommypocket
andshescoopeditupandtookagoodlookatit.
‘Whatasad,sadworry,’shesaid,‘it’sgrownsobigthatitneedstwoof ustocarryit.’
Wetooktheworrythoughthomewithusandmadesomespace
…sowecouldtalkwithit.
Weletittellitsstory.
Welistenedtowhatithadtosayandthankeditforitsmessage.
Itstartedtogetsmaller.
Thenwhenitwassmallenoughtofoldaway
MumandIputthesad,sadworryinmyworryboxandshutthelidonittightly
sothattonight…
I’lldreamadifferentdream.
D.M.Plummer,2009
Dedication
For my father, who instilled in me a love of story and
encouraged my imagination, and my mother, who
taught me not to give up.
Contents
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 8
PREFACE 9
Part One Being There: Interacting Mindfully 13
1. Supporting Emotional Well-being 15
2. Understanding Why we do the Things we do 21
3. Encouraging Imaginative Solutions 30
Part Two Skills for Life 39
4. Self-awareness 41
5. Imagework 50
6. Feelings 58
Part Three Coping with Change 67
7. Thinking about Change 69
8. Preparing for Change 78
9. Making a Change 84
Part Four Coping with Stress 87
10. What is Stress? 89
11. Changing how we Feel 96
Part Five Coping with Anxiety 105
12. Thinking, Feeling, Doing 107
13. What to do with Worries 112
Part Six Moving On 127
14. Setting Goals and Celebrating 129
APPENDIX:CHILDREN’SBOOKS 137
INDEX 139
ACTIVITIESINDEX 141
Acknowledgements
I would like toacknowledge the influenceof Dr Dina Glouberman and my fellow
imagework practitioners who encouraged and supported me as I learnt about the
power of imagery for my own use, and then as I trained as a practitioner myself.
UnderDina’sguidanceIwasabletointegratetheuseofimageryintomyworkasa
speech and language therapist and as a workshop facilitator. I now also bring
elements of this invaluable tool into my work as a lecturer.
Therehavebeenmanyfriendsintheimageworkcommunitywhohaveinspired
me with their wisdom and insight. I would particularly like to thank Hermione
Eliot and Marsha Lomond who, together with Dina, read draft manuscripts of my
firstbooksandencouragedmetoseek apublisher.Iwasluckyenoughtobetaken
onbyJessicaKingsley,whopublishedmyfirstbook,UsingInteractiveImageworkwith
Children: Walking on the Magic Mountain (from which selected material has been
revised and updated to form the basis for sections of this book). I would like to
thankherforseeingtheimportanceofthisworkwithbothchildrenandadults,and
for starting me on my writing career.
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Preface
The underlying philosophy of this book is very simple: our interactions with
childrenshouldalwaysbemindful,basedonourunderstandingof themasunique
individuals. It is by listening to what children are telling us and by walking
alongside them on their journey of self-discovery and mastery that we can learn
most about how they view the world and themselves and therefore how best to
support their emotional well-being.
In order to be mindful of children we need to be equally mindful of our own
thoughts, feelings and behaviour. This includes recognising how our actions and
words can have a profound effect on how our children feel and behave too. I am
sure,forexample,thateveryoneofushasexperiencedunwantedstressinourlifeat
somestageandweallhaveourownwaysofdealingwiththis-sometimessuccess-
fully,sometimesnotsosuccessfully,perhapsturningtomethodsthataggravateour
stresslevelsratherthanalleviatingthem.Undoubtedlyweareinabetterpositionto
helpthechildreninourcareifwearealsoawareofourownstrengths,stressorsand
anxieties and our own ways of coping.
Note: Throughout the book I refer to ‘your child’. This should also be taken to mean the
child or children in your class, group etc.
Using this book
Helping Children to Cope with Change, Stress and Anxiety provides practical activities
and strategies for children who are experiencing mild to moderate levels of stress,
have difficulty coping with changes in their life or are prone to mild to moderate
anxiety.
Thebookfollowsalogicalsequenceofexploration,incorporatingelementsofa
selection of approaches shown to be highly effective in supporting the emotional
health and wellbeing of both adults and children. There is particular emphasis on
helpingchildrentoutilisetheirimaginationtosolveproblemsandgainconfidence.
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