Try this activity at home to help your child(ren) turn their anxieties or worries into something tangible so they can choose to let them go.

1. Locate an empty tissue box (or any old box).

2. Use art supplies (construction paper and markers are great!) to decorate the box. Don't forget a mouth and eyes!

3. Once the Worry Monster is finished, talk to your child(ren) about how our head holds all kinds of thoughts and feelings and sometimes it can be hard for us to know how to react when we feel them.

4. Next, check in about the thoughts they are experiencing and how these thoughts are making them feel.

5. As you do this, help your child(ren) identify the thoughts they find uncomfortable to have (i.e,. worries, fears, frustrations, etc). Let them know that their Worry Monster is there to help them let go of those thoughts.

6. Assist your child(ren) in writing down these thoughts on slips of paper.

7. Afterwards, have your child(ren) fold them up and feed them to their Worry Monster.

8. If they identify an uncomfortable thought that is within their control, help them problem solve solutions.

9. If they identify an uncomfortable thought that is not within their control, reassure them by noting the things you currently do to prevent that worry from coming true.

10. Most important, remember that you don’t have to have all the answers. Often creating a safe space for feelings/thoughts to be validated is enough.