UPPER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

What you are going through right now is different from normal and may not be easy. 

In fact, we are also having many different feelings about what is happening in the world. We are here to tell you that everything you are feeling is okay and you are not alone. This page was made by us to help you explore how you may be feeling right now and learn fun ways to make you smile. It may be hard to imagine, but things will get better. Until then, we hope you look around and find some tips that have helped us.

HOW MIGHT I FEEL, THINK, & BEHAVE AFTER BIG STRESSFUL EVENTS?

What am I thinking?

    • I may have difficulty concentrating

    • Events may make me think about it again

    • Thinking about it a lot can make me more emotional

    • I may want to distract myself by thinking of other things

    • I may also want to think about it all the time

    • I may be confused with what is going on around

    • I may feel that you cannot control anything

How am I feeling?

  • Sad

  • Worried

  • Stressed

  • Unsure

  • Lonely

  • Bored

  • Annoyed

  • Mad

  • Tired

  • Sick

What am I doing that others can see?

    • I may be crying

    • I may have tight muscles

    • I may have warm hands, head, stomach

    • It may be hard for me to sleep

    • I may want to spend more time with my family

    • I may be quieter than normal

    • I may not want to spend time with others

    • I may lose interest in activities that are usually fun for me

    • I may not want to do school work or go to school

    • I may be doing things that I did when I was little

BUT REMEMBER: you may think, feel, or act differently from what is listed above, and that's okay! Turn to your parents, teachers, and other special adults in your life for help learning and dealing with any and all questions, big feelings, and in help understanding your own actions.

FUN WAYS TO EXPLORE MY FEELINGS

When you are having many different feelings, you may be confused about what is happening and what you should do. Doctors say that if you can find ways to understand and express your feelings, you may feel better even sooner. In fact, they also say that if you keep learning about your feelings and figuring out ways that you can be happy, you can grow even stronger on the inside! We have created some fun pictures to help you start recognizing your feelings. The next step is to find a way to turn your sad feelings into happy ones. You might wonder how you could do this. Well, here are some ideas!


Questions you can ask yourself:

  • Where is my safe space?
  • Who is allowed in my safe space? Is this space just for me? Can my friends or family join me?
  • Who are some people I can count on to listen and cheer me up?
  • Am I doing everything I can to be healthy?
  • Am I trying my best in school?
  • Am I taking some time every day to do something that is fun for me?

Tips to bounce back:

  • Your safe space can be your bedroom, classroom, the park, just to name a few
  • Sometimes it makes you feel better if you can find someone to share your safe space with.
  • Our brains let us think best when we brush our teeth and fill our bodies with fruits and veggies
  • Adults and friends can be good listeners.
  • School teaches you to become a smarter and kinder person.
  • You should try reading for fun! Reading can make your brain grow stronger AND there are books for anything that interests you.

Videos:


Books:


Downloadable Files:


Coronavirus Videos & Books:


Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019, October 11). Caring for children in a disaster: Helping children cope. https://www.cdc.gov/childrenindisasters/helping-children-cope.html 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, April 30). Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): Stress & coping. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-anxiety.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fprepare%2Fmanaging-stress-anxiety.html 

Child Mind Institute. (n.d.). Signs of Trauma in Children: What to watch for in the weeks and months after an upsetting event. https://childmind.org/article/signs-trauma-children/

Institute for Disaster Mental Health, State University of New York at New Paltz. (2020). COVID-19: Managing stress in this anxious time. https://newpaltz.edu/media/idmh/covid-19/IDMH%20COVID19%20Community%20Stress%20Management%20Tip%20Sheet%202020%20Final.pdf 

Stafford, B., Schonfeld, D., Keselman, L., Ventevogel, P., & López Stewart, C. (n.d.). Module 9: The emotional impact of disaster on children and families. American Academy of Pediatrics. https://www.aap.org/en-us/Documents/disasters_dpac_PEDsModule9.pdf 

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network. (2020, March 1). Parent/caregiver guide to helping families cope with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). https://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/resources/fact-sheet/outbreak_factsheet_1.pdf

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