Curriculum Center: Emotions

Did you know that grief can affect both your mind and your body? In this helpful and healing guide, the director of the Children's Grief Connection offers practices to help you deal with the physical aspects of grief and loss.

The death of a friend is a wrenching event for anyone at any age. Teenagers especially need help coping with this painful loss. This sensitive book answers questions grieving teens often have, like "How should I be acting?" "Is it wrong to go to parties and have fun?" and "What if I can't handle my grief on my own?"The advice is gentle, non-preachy, and compassionate.

"Activities suitable for support groups with grieving children, preteens and teens"

Children who have witnessed violence or other traumatic incidents are at surprisingly greater risk for committing violence in the future than are children who have actually been involved in such events.

This unique volume contains 75 'tried-and-true' activities to use with school-age children after an acutely traumatic event - such as a natural disaster or accident - or in response to the chronic trauma and loss experienced by children living in at-risk communities.

By developing a tragedy component to your crisis response team, Confronting Death in the School Family will help you respond to any and every tragedy in a consistent and compassionate manner.

T.W. Gun violence -

On April 20, 1999, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, two seniors at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, walked into their school and shot to death twelve students and one teacher, and wounded many others. It was the worst single act of murder at a school in U.S. history.

What should teachers do on the days after major events, tragedies, and traumas, especially when injustice is involved? This beautifully written book features teacher narratives and youth-authored student spotlights that reveal what classrooms do and can look like in the wake of these critical moments.

This cutting-edge, theory-into-practice book is a vital, hands-on resource for all counseling professionals and administrators in every setting. The lessons learned, crisis plans, step-by-step protocols, treatment strategies, and insights from many professionals will help you be prepared for the inevitable-the next disaster.

Huge numbers of our students are caught in storms of trauma-whether stemming from abuse, homelessness, poverty, discrimination, violent neighborhoods, or fears of school shootings or family deportations. This practical book focuses on actions that teachers can take to facilitate learning for these students.

This book helps parents deal with their children's fears and sadness, showing adults how to restore a child's trust that life, after all, is good.

Children who experience a traumatic crisis cannot process their feelings without adult support, and it can be hard for teachers to know how to help. After the Crisis provides teachers with tools to help children who have been through a trauma, such as homelessness, a natural disaster, or the death of a loved one.

The 40 lessons of this exciting program teach young people the important cognitive and behavioral skills designed to help them actively avoid emotional overreactions and to respond to those rotten events" in life in a cool, calm, thoughtful way.

Something Happened in Our Town, is a much-needed story to help communities in the aftermath of gun violence.

A comforting, coping story for children who are aware of the threats of violence and terrorism in the world. A range of fears, feelings and questions are explored. The child reader is encouraged to talk to parents, friends and other caregivers.

Why Do I Feel So Sad? is an inclusive, age-appropriate, illustrated kid's book designed to help young children understand their own grief. The examples and beautiful illustrations are rooted in real life, exploring the truth of loss and change, while remaining comforting and hopeful.

Drawing from evidence-based interventions and the most effective treatment approaches, the Trauma Treatment Toolbox for Teens is a practical workbook for clinicians working with teenagers who have experiences trauma, PTSD, and stress.

When your child has been through an upsetting or stressful event, it can feel overwhelming. Is your child traumatized? Are new behaviors normal, or signs of PTSD? What can you do to make your child feel safe again?

In a small village in Japan, a family mourns the loss of their loved one. Each family member grieves in their own way, but it is not until they discover an old-fashioned telephone booth on a windswept hill that they begin to heal. Through the telephone, they are able to express feelings long bottled up--speaking directly to their loved one and also to each other. Slowly but surely, the pain subsides, and hope blossoms anew.

Kids learn how to build the six Positive Values assets: Caring, Equality and Social Justice, Integrity, Honesty, Responsibility, and Healthy Lifestyle.

This uplifting and positive book encourages kids to promise that tomorrow, they will be grateful, helpful, and kind.

A fun and engaging workbook to help kids ages 6-12 build resilience, perseverance, and a growth mindset.

The Grit Guide for Teens will help you build perseverance, resilience, self-control, and stamina.

This uplifting and positive book encourages kids to promise that tomorrow, they will try new things, do their best, and be brave.

The 21 lessons in this resource for teachers and counselors help make school a place where all students feel supported and accepted so they can focus on classes, friendship, and fun activities.

Discover a school where all young children have a place, have a space, and are loved and appreciated.

Knowing how to protect your feelings from hurtful words and behavior can prevent a lot of misery- and keep kids safer from bullying and abuse.

Safe School Ambassadors is an essential guide for school administrators, counselors, teachers, parents, and youth organization leaders. It challenges the current "outside-in" thinking that keeping schools safe is accomplished primarily by adults through heightened security and stricter policies.

In this practical manual, the authors demonstrate the important relationship between social emotional and ethical education and school safety.

Evidence-based bullying-prevention principles, policies, and practices to reduce peer cruelty and create safe, caring learning climates.

This simple yet powerful picture book tells the story of an elementary school girl named Vanessa who is bullied and a fellow student who witnesses the act and is at first unsure of how to help. I Walk with Vanessa explores the feelings of helplessness and anger that arise in the wake of seeing a classmate treated badly, and shows how a single act of kindness can lead to an entire community joining in to help.

Students, parents, and school staff deserve a safe learning environment. Yet recent headlines of violence, bullying, and drug abuse have shown the vulnerability of schools. In this timely and important resource, leading expert Franklin Schargel provides leaders, teachers, counselors, parents, and students with the necessary information to address and diminish safety problems in schools.

Now more than ever, adults must help children develop the skills necessary to navigate successfully through life. By focusing on building social and emotional strength, adults increase children's resilience and prepare them to handle the challenges in life.

This reassuring picture book is a courageous, constructive response to the dystopian world of the news media.

This book offers evidence-based strategies you can use to take control of your emotions and reactions in order to respond effectively to peer pressure, bullying, cyber-bullying, and gossip, allowing you to navigate the many social issues that make these years so challenging.

"We believe focused read aloud experiences with carefully selected children's literature followed by guided conversations is one way you can create a climate in your classroom, school, or district where bullying is not an accepted or rewarded behavior. A climate where an individual's humanity and human dignity trump any difference(s) and kindness is the order of the day."

Little Avery becomes concerned after seeing another police shooting of an unarmed man. His parents decide it is time to have "The Talk". They teach him and his brother a catchy chant to help remember what to do if approached by an officer. A to the L to the I-V-E...come home ALIVE....THAT is the key!

When devastating news rattles a young girl's community, her normally attentive parents and neighbors are suddenly exhausted and distracted. At school, her teacher tells the class to look for the helpers--the good people working to make things better in big and small ways.

At its heart, this picture book is a celebration of empathy and compassion that lifts up the flawed fullness of humanity and encourages children to see themselves as part of one big imperfect family-millions strong.

I Am Love asks readers to look inward when they feel afraid. Love allows us to act with compassion and kindness, to live with gratitude, and to take care of ourselves by practicing self-love.

One seed to start a garden, one note to start a melody, one brick to start breaking down walls: Every movement and moment of change starts with just one.

How can we make the world a better place? This inspiring resource for middle-grade readers is organized as a dictionary; each entry presents a word related to creating a better world, such as ally, empathy, or respect.

Help children to stay on top of "big" feelings like anger, sadness and anxiety with this ingeniously easy-to-use therapy toolkit.

In a world where people spend more time engaging through screens than in real-life interaction, showing basic human kindness can feel like a lost art. Be Kind offers children aged 5 and up simple, actionable things they can do in their daily lives that help them cultivate kindness toward others and grow into people with the capacity to make the world a kinder place.

Think of a bouncing ball. When a bouncing ball hits the ground, it bounces back. That's what resilience means -- the ability to bounce back from tough times.

In this lyrical and timely story, author Holly M. McGhee and illustrator Pascal Lema tre champion the power of kindness, bravery, and friendship in the face of uncertainty.

A reassuring picture book celebrating all of us, perfect for trying times. Everybody! is a touching and funny exploration of empathy and unity.

Empathy-building tools for kids ages 6 to 9 Help young kids discover how to be kind as they develop their empathy skills and learn to handle difficult social situations. Created by a school psychologist, this top choice in empathy books for kids is full of fun exercises that teach kids how to understand and share what other people are feeling.

Written by expert clinicians, the activities in this workbook support a foundation of social-emotional language, an increase in consistency and routine, regulation of tough emotions, and the formation of connections with others.

Hands on activities & exciting exercise teach kids how developing a growth mindset can help them achieve their goals. A positive headspace can help kids develop their abilities to tackle just about anything.

Middle school is an essential time to learn and practice social skills, including how to get along with others, talk about hard things, be an ally, and a good friend.

Move past anxiety and discover what really matters to you. Written by three experts in teen mental health, this powerful workbook offers evidence-based activities grounded in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to help you cope with anxiety, build resilience, stop avoiding the things you fear, and lead a fuller, happier life.

In Mindfulness for Teen Anxiety, psychologist and learning specialist Christopher Willard offers teens like you proven-effective, mindfulness-based practices to help you cope with your anxiety, identify common triggers (such as dating or school performance), learn valuable time-management skills, and feel more calm at home, at school, and with friends.

For kids ages 8 to 12, this book is full of specific exercises to help deal with day-to-day challenges and tips to lead a healthier, happier, and more connected life.

Get your kids ready to conquer back to school anxiety with this collection of 30 mindfulness meditations and exercises to help kids feel calm, focused, and energized wherever they are.

A comforting primer in emotional literacy and mindfulness that suggests we approach the feeling of sadness as if it is our guest.

Being a teen in today's fast-paced, media-saturated world is difficult, and it's easy to get overwhelmed or stressed out. This breakthrough workbook will help you balance your emotions, stay focused, and experience the natural quietness that lives within you.

When the world feels chaotic, find peace within through an accessible mindfulness practice from the bestselling picture-book dream team that brought us I Am Yoga. Express emotions through direct speech. Find empathy through imagination. Connect with the earth. Wonder at the beauty of the natural world. Breathe, taste, smell, touch, and be present.

When a big day brings out lots of big feelings for a group of children, mindfulness helps them cope with their emotions.

Join a young child and their dog as they experience every minute of the day to its fullest--from the second they wake up to the moment they fall asleep. Readers will love barking, wagging, and sniffing along with the gentle cues in the book.

A perfect bedtime read, this picture book gently encourages children to explore the senses and discover their path to mindfulness.

When bad things happen it can be really hard to "look at the bright side." A little SPOT of OPTIMISM is a story about how a little spot can show you how to change your negative thoughts into positive ones.

An estimated 25 percent of teens suffer from mild to serious anxiety, and many of them get little or no help. The good news is that anxiety is a highly treatable condition and by learning coping skills teens build a defense against anxiety that can last into adulthood.The Anxiety Workbook for Teens offers a collection of the most effective techniques for preventing anxiety and defusing it when it hits.

The Coping Skills for Kids Workbook is designed to help kids learn and practice coping skills to deal with anxiety, stress and anger.

The Boy with Big, Big Feelings is relatable for any child -- especially for a child experiencing anxiety, extreme emotions, a child identified as a Highly Sensitive Person, or a child on the autism spectrum.

Therapy can be intimidating for anyone, and even more so for children. Someone To Talk To is a straightforward and interactive guide to help children through the therapy process. It is an invaluable therapy accompaniment that covers what to expect, how to prepare, and tips for wrapping up.

No matter what our age or situation, we all have feelings. Sometimes we know just what to do with them, and sometimes... well... we can't even really figure out what our feelings are.This journal is made for everyone who has feelings, who wants to sit quietly and draw as a way of expressing, and discovering those feelings.

This is the story of a persistent problem and the child who isn't so sure what to make of it. The longer he avoids the problem, the bigger it seems to get. But when the child finally musters up the courage to face it, the problem turns out to be something quite different indeed.

The Anxiety Gremlin is a mischievous creature who loves to gobble up your anxious feelings! The more anxiety you feed him, the bigger and bigger he gets and the more and more anxious you feel! How can you stop this? Starve your Anxiety Gremlin of anxious thoughts, feelings and behaviors, and watch him shrink!

Characters in the comic strips are shown dealing with anxiety in a 'Wrong Way' and then in a more appropriate way. Detailed photos prompt children to take a closer look at dialog, body language, and non-verbal cues in both scenarios. Children will learn that interacting in certain ways may help them feel less anxious in social situations.

From bestselling and beloved author Todd Parr, a new book that reassures kids everywhere that even when things are scary or confusing, there's always something comforting around the corner.

Scary news is an inevitable part of life. This book can support and guide efforts to help scary news seem a bit more manageable for the young people.

Lots of kids are a little afraid of some things, like heights or spiders. But some kids are so afraid that it stops them from having fun. Does this sound like you? If your fear is getting in the way of everyday activities, this book is for you

Following the success of Transforming Stress, this book is the first to provide teens with the life-changing, proven-effective HeartMath skills for reducing stress. Using these practical evidence-based concepts and techniques, this book will help you manage stress by showing you how to manage your emotions.

Stressed Out!: Solutions to Help Your Overscheduled Child Manage and Overcome Stressis an easy-to-read guide for parents to help their children understand stress, its effects on kids' day-to-day lives, and how to handle it.

When stress has the "survival brain" on overdrive, what happens to the "thinking brain"? How can teens learn to use the mind-body connection to stay cool and make smart choices when the pressure's on?

From a dread of spiders to coping with uncertainty to panic attacks, kids have worries, anxiety, and fears, just like adults. This is a book kids can turn to when they need advice, reassurance, and ideas for overcoming fear and anxiety.

Research shows that stress in the crucial early years of a child's life can pose dramatic, lasting challenges to development, learning and behaviour. This is the practical book early childhood professionals need to recognize stress in young children, and intervene with proven relief strategies before pressures turn into big problems.

Start worrying less and enjoying life with this book for people who worry or struggle with anxiety (so yeah -- everyone)!

In a lifesaving guide for parents, Dr. Abigail Gewirtz shows how to use the most basic tool at your disposal--conversation--to give children real help in dealing with the worries, stress, and other negative emotions caused by problems in the world, from active shooter drills to climate change. But it's not just how to talk to your kids, it's also what to say.

A little Worry SPOT helps children identifies the two different types of WORRIES. A USEFUL WORRY (a worry that can help keep you safe) and a SPINNING WORRY (an IMAGINED worry that prevents you from doing something safe and fun). If you are able to recognize the difference between the two you can prevent a SPINNING WORRY from turning into a BIG ANXIETY SPOT.

Adolescence is a crucial period for developing and maintaining social and emotional habits essential for mental well-being.

The problem is this is easier said than done. Considering all the distractions and peer pressure our teens deal with that we did not have when we were their age, how can we help them?
The techniques taught in DBT can make your teen’s journey into adulthood a lot smoother.

When faced with danger you must DO something. The teacher at the Ant Hill School wants her students to be prepared - for everything! One day, she teaches her students what to do if a "dangerous someone" is in their school. "I'll be your shepherd, and you're all my sheep, so you must do what I say. Pretend there's a wolf in our building, and we MUST stay out of his way!" "We need a great plan of action in case we start to get scared.

The perfect companion to I'm Not Scared...I'm Prepared! Full of preparedness activities, discussion questions, and exercises to help children practice emergency scenarios.

Fun and easy skills to help kids bounce back from stress and rebound from adversity. As a parent, you want to protect your child from life's difficulties. But this isn't always possible. In order to face the uncertainty and inevitable setbacks of life with confidence, children need the right tools. The good news is that you can give them these tools. Designed for kids ages 7 to 12, this workbook provides actionable techniques to help kids cope with stress, manage powerful emotions, and grow through life's challenges.

Anxiety-busting tools for kids ages 6 to 9 Being young doesn't stop kids from worrying. This anxiety workbook for kids, created by a clinical psychologist, is full of fun exercises designed to help kids learn how to work through feelings of discomfort or worry.

A teen version of the #1 Bestselling Coping Skills for Kids Workbook, this version is written specifically with a tween/teen audience (age 11+) in mind.

A simple, five-step program to overcome the social anxiety standing between you and a happier, more confident life Do you worry about what others think of you? Does fear of being judged trigger intense anxiety? If you're one of millions of teens suffering from social anxiety disorder (SAD), you know how it feels to miss out on life because you're avoiding people or situations that you feel like you just can't deal with. The good news is there is a way to free yourself from the fear and uncertainty keeping you from the rich and fulfilling life you deserve.

How many children are truly safe from school shootings - physically and emotionally? A shocking 187,000 school students have been directly exposed to gun violence since the Columbine school shooting in 1999. Millions more endure the trauma of being in "lockdown" and "active shooter" drills that occur regularly in schools today. Lockdown! Talking to Your Kids about School Violence offers unprecedented professional insight and critical therapeutic guidance to help parents, teachers, school administrators and social service professionals successfully nurture and heal children in this era of school shootings.

10 powerful skills to help you deal with anxious thoughts and feelings--so you can get back to being a teen! In a world where you face academic pressure, social media stress, and countless expectations from every direction, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. Luckily, there are proven strategies you can learn to feel better, cope better, and live your life with more confidence.

When children learn about something big and bad - even when they hear only bits and pieces - their brains get busy trying to make sense of it. Where did it happen? Why did it happen? And especially, will it happen again? Something Bad Happened guides children ages 6 to 12 and the adults who care about them through tough conversations about national and international tragedies.

When worries and fears come along, Harley the Hedgehog can handle them--and so can your child! A fun activity book for coping with anxiety, for kids ages 5 to 9.

In this comprehensive toolbox, Dr. David Pratt shares essential cognitive and behavioral skill building activities created and honed over his 40 year career. Each worksheet and handout is accompanied by straight-forward explanations, highlighted as "Therapist Tips" to guide the clinician in presenting the material to children and adolescents in an empathic and effective style.

CBT strategies to help kids ages 6 to 10 stand up to anxiety and feel calm Worrying all the time can stop kids from having fun with friends, hobbies, sports, or school. The CBT Workbook for Kids helps them get back to doing the things they love.

Written after the tragic shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, Love, Hugs, and Hope: When Scary Things Happen is an invaluable tool for helping children identify feelings that overwhelm them with anxiety and despair.

What we tell ourselves matters! This is just as true for kids as it is for adults. Help your child tap into their inner strength and find the encouragement they need to navigate their daily environments. Mindful affirmations can help your child tune out the streams of messages they get about how they should be in the world. I can choose kindness. I can practice peace. I can share my gifts with the world.

This clever activity book is a fun-filled tool for kids to discover self-expression and awareness. It offers kids all sorts of information to nourish and appreciate their emotional life.

This Makes Me Happy follows a young girl on a field trip to the fair, complete with a roller coaster, pie-eating contest, and petting zoo! But when her pesky nut allergy keeps her from having a treat with her class, the girl learns that even the happiest of days can have unhappy moments.

If feeling blue isn't bad enough, it's even worse without your best furry friend. This Makes Me Sad follows a young boy after he accidentally lets his dog, Kit, loose from the yard. Despite his parents' attempt to find her, nothing can cheer up the boy.

Do you have a feeling that's visiting today? Can you open your door and invite it to play? Visiting Feelings encourages children to treat their feelings like guests -- welcome them in, get to know them, and perhaps learn why they are visiting.

With his signature blend of playfulness and sensitivity, Todd Parr explores the subject of all things scary and assures readers that all of us are afraid sometimes.

Little Unicorn's rainbow-colored mane is magic--it shifts to a single color when he's feeling a particularly strong emotion. It seems like a storm comes over him when he's angry, and his mane turns bright red. But when he repeats a special three-step breathing exercise, the clouds clear and his rainbow returns.

A little unicorn's rainbow-colored mane is magic--it shifts to a single color when he's feeling a particularly strong emotion. At bedtime, he often is scared of the dark, and his mane turns bright green. But when he repeats a special three-step breathing exercise, his fear disappears and his rainbow returns.

A little unicorn's rainbow-colored mane shifts to a single color when he's feeling a particularly strong emotion. It seems like a storm comes over him when he's sad, and his mane turns deep blue. But when he repeats a breathing exercise, the clouds clear and his rainbow returns.

When a big feeling comes along...you can handle it! Managing feelings for kids ages 7 to 10 Sometimes, emotions like anger or jealousy or excitement can seem too big to keep inside. Me and My Feelings is here to tell you: It's okay to have big feelings.

This not-so-scary activity book helps kids understand why they get fearful and reassure them that everyone feels afraid sometimes.

Happiness, sadness, bravery, anger, shyness . . . our hearts can feel so many feelings! Some make us feel as light as a balloon, others as heavy as an elephant. In My Heart explores a full range of emotions, describing how they feel physically, inside.

In This Makes Me Scared, a young boy is terrified about taking swim lessons. The water is cold, chlorine burns his eyes, and worst of all, everyone is watching him. He's scared that he'll never learn to swim--or drown trying! When his instructor shows him how to calm his mind, the boy decides to face his fear and open himself up to a fun, new experience.

A boldly illustrated picture book read-aloud about how everyone gets sad--ninjas, wrestlers, knights, superheroes, everyone . . . even daddies have emotions!

The Feelings Book vibrantly illustrates the wide range of moods we all experience.

The Feelings Book will help you understand your emotions, and deal with them in positive ways.

Are you having a colorful day? Some days are marvelous...and others are screamin' green, with more surprises than a roller coaster. No matter what, each day is an outer space adventure. If you embrace the many shades of life, any day can be a sky blue day!

Can you feel sad and happy at the same time? Does anger really make you hot? Are you likely to be envious? Why is stuff so embarrassing? Chock-full of cool psychology and info on emotions, real-life stories from kids, interesting facts, and feeling quizzes, Understanding Myself will help you notice just what all your emotions and feelings are telling you about yourself, your friends, and your family.

This thoughtful, engaging book is packed with helpful hints, tips, and techniques for helping children learn to recognize and express their emotions.

Help little kids learn to manage big feelings!

This poignant and heartwarming story explores the many faces of sadness and addresses the importance of mental health in a child-friendly way.

A Little SPOT of Feelings is a story about a little Scribble SPOT that is an Emotion Detective. He teaches you all about different emotions and facial expressions so you know how to NAME your FEELINGS. He also shows specific examples of children describing how they are feeling.

Encourage kids to explore their emotions through engaging activities for ages 4 to 8 When children can identify their feelings, they're better able to work through them and express them in a positive way. Help kids build essential social and emotional skills with this constructive approach to feelings books for children.