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.

I Want To Be Mad For A While!

Every emotion is valid. It is what we do about our emotion and how we express it that can sometimes get us into trouble. This is quite often the case with anger. So, what do we do when we’re mad? And what do we do when someone around us is angry? 

Let’s follow this little kitten in today’s story “I want to be mad for a while!” to find out what someone might need when they are feeling mad.

I Want To Be Mad For A While - Read Aloud

After listening to the story, you could…

• Discuss what ‘mad’ might look like in different people,
• Create a list of different ways that help you soothe your anger,
• Practice these strategies so you can use them readily when you need to (when you’re angry, it can be hard to remember these strategies and use them properly!),
• As a parent, it’s important to demonstrate how you manage your anger, too. It’s okay to say that you are angry and then model to your children how you deal with it. For example, you might say, “I’m starting to get mad because you are being very loud, and I need some quiet time to myself to calm down.”