Hi there, I have a very sensitive 7 yo son. He really is a beautiful soul but is so easily upset at school.. He constantly thinks everyone is being mean to him and when I ask what has happened it is generally something quite trivial. He has been diagnosed with general anxiety disorder and for the most part we have it under control. I really just want him to realise he doesn't have to sweat the small stuff but really don't know how to put it to him.
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Google emotional resilience. There are a few strategies which we have taught through psychologist and also counsellors courses for kids. Both are very much worth it. Once you have the ideas its easy to google for different and creative ways to apply and practice them.
Here are a few off the top of my head -
Social stories.
Being able to name his emotions. This isnt as simple as it sounds.
Draw a picture of what happened. Role play what happened. How did it make you feel? You dont have to fix it every time, just let him share and understand that he has feelings.
Scripting. What could you have said/ done then? Give some simple options.
-how big are my feelings? On a scale.
- how big is my reaction? On a scale.
Eventually leading to, is my reaction proportionate to the size of my problem?
A daily diary - what was the hardest thing about today. What was the best thing. Who did i play with/ehat did i play? What was one nice thing that happened? One nice thing i did for someone else?
Help remind him theres good and bad in every day, it wont all be rosy, but these kids like to hold onto and blow up the bad so this will also help them remember all the good.