What To Do When You're Sad

We are approaching 2 months of sheltering in place/isolation/quarantine and social distancing. This extreme change in schedule and routine, coupled with not seeing friends and a lack of normalcy can leave kids, and ourselves, feeling sad as we endure quarantine and uncertainty.

Today we are learning about What To Do When You Are Sad. It is another lesson that builds on talking about emotions. As we encourage kids to notice sad feelings and we encourage them to cope, we are building resilience.

Resources:

1. Coping - Things to Know

2. Sadness Quiz

Two things we learn from this lesson:

1. When kids interpret sad feelings as rejection or defeat, they become more vulnerable to depression

2. When kids interpret sad feelings as part of the normal ebb and flow of emotion, they can respond with patience and optimism - preventing depression.

If we respond to kids' emotions with understanding, we nurture supportive relations that help kids be resilient.

*Thank you to the Michael Phelps Foundation for the resources