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This page offers a variety of resources that caregivers can use to help their children work through, manage, and reduce strong negative feelings.
This page offers a variety of resources that caregivers can use to help their children work through, manage, and reduce strong negative feelings.
Expressing Strong Feelings
Expressing Strong Feelings
Although some children will be able to communicate strong feelings with words, others will communicate with their behavior. Below we offer some examples of behavior that may be reflective of underlying distress. Importantly, it is critical that we provide support to children when they are experiencing distress, regardless if they communicate using their words or their behavior.
Coping Skills
Coping Skills
Learning to handle, manage, and reduce strong feelings is a developmental skill that we all practice throughout our lives. We offer some healthy coping strategies below that children and teens can use at home. As children are practicing these skills, remind them they are not always meant to solve or change the challenge they are experiencing. Instead, these skills are designed to make them feel less anxious, less angry, or less sad right now. And by feeling these emotions less intensely, they will be better able to make safe and healthy decisions. Finally, remind children that they may need to use a variety of skills/activities before feeling better.
Learning to handle, manage, and reduce strong feelings is a developmental skill that we all practice throughout our lives. We offer some healthy coping strategies below that children and teens can use at home. As children are practicing these skills, remind them they are not always meant to solve or change the challenge they are experiencing. Instead, these skills are designed to make them feel less anxious, less angry, or less sad right now. And by feeling these emotions less intensely, they will be better able to make safe and healthy decisions. Finally, remind children that they may need to use a variety of skills/activities before feeling better.
Active/Creative Coping Skills
Going for a walk
Moderate to intense exercise
Dancing
Playing sports
Riding a bike
Squeezing a stress ball
Engaging in art
Writing
Playing music
Journaling
Building with legos/art materials
Sensory play/activities (e.g., playing with different textures)
Relaxing Coping Skills
Taking a shower or bath
Listening to calm music
Deep breathing
Progressive muscle relaxation
Meditation/Mindfulness activities
Drinking a hot or cold beverage
Closing your eyes and counting backward
Reading a book or magazine
Hugging a stuffed animal
Sitting in your favorite place
Blowing bubbles
Thinking of a calm/happy place
Cognitive Coping Skills
Thinking of something positive
Focusing on 1 thing you are grateful for
Thinking about something you are looking forward to
Focusing on the present moment (grounding)
Thinking about happy/positive experiences
Focus on things that you can control.
Practice reframing negative/unhelpful thoughts
Think about something that makes you laugh/happy
Social Coping Strategies
Playing a game with a family member or friend
Calling or talking to a friend
Cuddling or playing with a pet
Volunteering
Sharing your feelings with someone you trust
Going outside and being around other people
Making something for someone you care about
Managing Anxiety Podcast sponsored by CHADD featuring Craig Surman, MD (29 min)
Managing Anxiety Podcast sponsored by CHADD featuring Craig Surman, MD (29 min)
Parenting During COVID-19: A Guide to Managing (Child) Anxiety Webinar
Parenting During COVID-19: A Guide to Managing (Child) Anxiety Webinar
Presented by BU’s Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders (CARD)
Parenting can be difficult, but parenting during a pandemic presents a whole new set of challenges. With this in mind, this webinar was developed by CARD to provide parents and other caregivers tools to help support child emotional health and well-being during this period of coronavirus-related social distancing and beyond. These are the Slides that accompanied the webinar.
Managing Depression and Anxiety v.3 copy.movManaging Depression and Anxiety at Home
Managing Depression and Anxiety at Home
This webinar was developed by Bridge for Resilient Youth in Transition (BRYT) a program of the Brookline Center for Community Mental Health.
It discusses how current symptoms of depression and anxiety may actually be a reaction to the loss and grief we are all feeling during this pandemic. The hosts also discuss how validation can be a powerful tool in staying connected to your child and loved ones.
Sponsored by NJCTS (NJ Center for Tourette Syndrome & Associated Disorders, Inc.). The webinar addresses anxiety and is not specific to children diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome. (1hr, 23 min)
BU CARD: Coping Clips Library
BU CARD: Coping Clips Library
The Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders offers a series of short clips to help children and adolescents navigate strong feelings.
Movement
Movement
Like adults, kids need exercise. Most children need at least an hour of physical activity every day. Research has found that regular exercise has many benefits for children, including:
Feeling less stressed
Feeling better about themselves
Feeling more ready to learn in school
Maintaining a healthy weight for the height
Building and keep healthy bones, muscles, and joints
Sleeping better at night
There are a variety of websites and resources that can help support movement and exercise for children and caregivers. Two popular resources are GoNoodle and Cosmic Kids Yoga
Sleep
Sleep
Below are some helpful sleep hygiene tips for children and adolescents. It is important that children and teens understand that not getting enough sleep can impact their mood, their ability to focus, and their ability to do well in school.
One of the best ways to train your body to sleep is to go to bed and get up at the same time every day (including non-school days).
Develop a 30 to 60-minute “bedtime routine” that you do every night. As part of this routine, avoid screens!
Take a hot shower or bath about an hour before bed. The water will raise your body temperature and you will feel drowsy when your temperature drops.
When you are ready to go to sleep, make your room dark, quiet, and comfortable. A cooler environment (lower than 75 degrees) with warm blankets is best.
Don’t go to bed hungry; but don’t eat a big meal before bed either.
If you haven’t been able to get to sleep after 20 minutes, get up and do something calming (like reading a book or listening to music).
Don’t play with your phone or watch TV!
Avoid caffeine for at least 4 to 6 hours before bed.
Only use your bed for sleeping. If you watch TV, read, or do homework in your bed, your body will not learn the connection between your bed and sleeping.
If you can, try to avoid naps. If you need to nap, take one 20-minute nap before 4pm. Naps longer than 20 minutes will make it harder for you to sleep at night.
Exercise regularly, but not in the 4 hours before bedtime
Helpful Links and Resources
Helpful Links and Resources
The following are curated resources from the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine
Center for Young Women’s Health and Young Men’s Health: These websites provide information targeted at parents of adolescents, including guides on how to support children suffering from depression and eating disorders. http://youngwomenshealth.org/parents/ and http://youngmenshealthsite.org/parents/
Children’s Mental Health Ontario: This website offers brochures for parents in a variety of languages on common mental health disorders affecting youth. www.kidsmentalhealth.ca/parents/signs_disorders.php
Headspace: This website from Australia has a wealth of resources and videos for parents and caregivers of young adults age 12-25 years who have mental health concerns. http://headspace.org.au/family/
HealthlyChildren.Org: Sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics, this website provides a wide-range of resources for parents of teens and young adults. https://www.healthychildren.org
Jed Foundation: Promoting emotional health and prevent suicide among college students, this website provides resources, including Transition Year, that are designed to help parents recognize the signs of a mental health problems and help their child’s transition to college. http://www.jedfoundation.org/parents
Kelty Mental Health Resource Center: Numerous resources for parents and caregivers can be found at this website including a resource library and family toolkit. http://keltymentalhealth.ca/family
National Institute of Mental Health: Working to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses, NIMA’s website provides guides and brochures directed at parents. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/
Teen Health: This website helps parents care for their child’s ups and downs, from dealing with divorce to preparing for new siblings. Also provides information on how to understand your child’s behavior, whether it’s toddler tantrums or teenage depression. http://teenshealth.org/parent/emotions/
Teen Mental Health: Geared towards teenagers, this website provides learning tools on a variety of mental illnesses, videos, and resources for parents and caregivers. http://teenmentalhealth.org/care/parents/
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