In our busy, pressured world, feelings of anxiety, stress and anger have become increasingly prevalent and it's not just adults who struggle to cope. Many schools are now introducing mindful techniques to the classroom in an effort to deal with childhood stress, anxiety and bullying, and to complement this project, Studio Press have published two new sensitively created activity books in their Mindful Kids series. Written by Dr Sharie Coombes, a child and family psychotherapist, and with a helpful introduction and notes for grown-ups, the activity books combine mindful activities with Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). Both books feature the charming and quirky illustrations of Katie Abey with the pictures helping to keep young readers entertained and focused as they work through the books, or they can simply dip into the pages for ten minutes of calm colouring. Stay Strong! has been specifically developed for youngsters who are experiencing bullying, allowing them to colour and doodle their way through emotions tied to being bullied and building resilience. The encouraging and simple activities and exercises tackle the feelings of being bullied, teased and overwhelmed. Children will enjoy using their creativity to combat negative feelings and work out how to cope with these emotions through writing, colouring, doodling and drawing. Be Brave! is ideal for children who sometimes feel scared or afraid, helping them to feel calm, safe and in control of their fears. The activities and exercises tackle phobias and feelings of fear, encouraging children to work out why they feel scared and put fear back in its place through writing, colouring, doodling and drawing. With an introduction and notes aimed at both children and adults, support organisation contact numbers and websites for children who are being bullied, lots of discussion points, and a fantastic range of activities, these books are ideal for both at home and at school. This imaginative, important and immensely constructive series also includes No Worries, Hello Happy and Stay Strong. * Lancashire Evening Post *
Published as part of the Mindful Kids
series, these delightful self-care books
are a great support to children who
struggle with anxiety and fear. Both
Stay Strong! and Be Brave! encourage
little ones to colour and doodle their
way through emotions connected with
bullying and resilience, helping them to
combat negative emotions and channel
their worries.
* Little London *
Mental health is, thankfully, receiving more attention with regards children and young adults. Nothing has changed in terms of children's needs, necessarily, but luckily society is getting better at recognising that children do struggle with mental health issues and we need to think of ways to open up conversations to help children feel better about themselves and their situations.
Dr Sharie Coombe's books are such a welcome addition to the area. In the past, I struggled to find titles that weren't only helpful but also appealing to children. These easily fit the bill and are fantastic ways to encourage children to think about their emotions, fears, strengths and weaknesses. Katie Abey's illustrations are fun and attractive - no dodgy or boring drawings in sight!
Be Brave! and Stay Strong! are the latest two and provide a wealth of activities for children who suffer from fear and anxiety or who are struggling with bullying. The activities range from a Kindness Lotto, to recognise little acts of selflessness that can empower a child to feel freer from their fears, to writing postcards to remind yourself how strong, capable and powerful you can be when faced with bullying.
I am frightened of flying and, recently, I had to endure two long trans-Atlantic flights in less than a week. The prospect had me in tears and shaking so I opened up Be Brave! to see if I could learn some useful techniques for coping with my fear. I used the Zen Triangles activity to help control my breathing (one side of the triangle, you breathe in slowly, second side you hold and smile, and third side you breathe slowly out), tracing the triangles on my hand. It worked because I could focus my attention on the physical act of drawing, while linking it with my breathing. So, thank you, Sharie!
I will be adding these titles to the little reference library I have at school for parents and teachers and other staff to use with children who could do with some support and TLC. I can't stress how invaluable they are - if they kept me calm on a 9.5 hour flight with turbulence, they're worth their weight in gold!
* Childtastic Books *
