Size of the problem

Think about problems that you have had this week and rate them small, medium or big based on descriptions below.

Small problems are considered small because they do not take a very long time to make better. It can take a few seconds up to a few minutes to solve them. Who helps? Children can solve small problems by themselves or with the help of another person. That person can be another kid or a grown-up. If children can stay calm when small problems occur, problems are solved even faster!
Medium problems take a longer time to fix or make better. It can take minutes up to hours. Who helps? It takes more people to solve a medium problem. An adult usually helps solve a medium problem alongside the child. Because the problem takes some effort to solve, children may feel a little bit sad, worried or frustrated. Children can talk to an adult about how they feel and adults can let children know their plan to help solve the problem!
Big problems take a really long time to solve. It can take days, weeks, months or even longer to make these problems better. Who helps? When big problems happen, even grown-ups need help from other grown-ups. It takes a lot of people to work through big problems. They can make people feel scared, upset or mad. Adults and children usually have to talk about big problems and think about different solutions. Big problems usually mean people have to make some big changes to solve them. This is part of what can make people upset.

Copyright © 2016 Think Social Publishing, Inc. Permission to copy and use in-classroom or in-clinic only. From We Thinkers! Volume 2: Social Problem Solvers. www.socialthinking.com