Wellbeing Corner

Wellbeing Story Time

Picture story books often open up conversations and learning opportunities for what might be complex and hard-to-tackle concepts for children. This is true for conversations about mental health issues, which can at times feel awkward or be challenging to discuss. In this series, I will be introducing you to picture story books which will not only entertain but introduce children to a range of mental health issues which they or someone they know might experience.

Dragons on the Inside and Other Big Feelings

There are so many emotions that people feel – even within a day! This is true for both children and adults, but in particular for children, they can be hard to put a name to and manage. Sometimes because of this, we tend to see ‘on the outside’ problematic or challenging behaviours, when in fact ‘on the inside’ children are experiencing real and valid emotions as a result of surrounding influences or internally within their bodies and minds. This story uses relatable and humorous analogies to help children develop self-awareness of their emotions.

Dragons on the Inside and Other Big Feelings - Read Aloud

After listening to the story, you could…

• Choose a page to focus on, and talk about a time when you felt these emotions,
• Create your own ‘on the outside’ and ‘on the inside’ book, depicting what was going on outside and how you felt inside,
• Come up with your own funny analogies for different emotions – perhaps feeling nervous might be like a bunny peeping out of its burrow, or feeling excited might be like a dog running around the park,
• Practice grounding exercises to help regulate your emotions – box breathing is a great place to start!