The Huge Bag of Worries

Product Information

There's no telling how long the conversation is going to last, so the first thing to consider is where and when you're going to start it.

Jesus didn't judge Martha - there's nothing wrong with being a good hostess or wanting things to be the very best - he just drew her attention to her worry. It is a perfect story for children who are feeling anxious or for when you want to discuss strategies about what to do when we have a worry, as we all do at some point. Be honest with them about how you feel about certain subjects and let them know about things that have happened to you in the past. There could have been more information about some of the worries that the other characters have, it is helpful to see that for example Mum and Dad also have worries but this could have been talked about more.We have advice to help you decide how to talk to your child in a way that's age-appropriate and supportive.

Having a worry monster display focuses on the idea that the worry monster will munch up their troubles! If you're worried or nervous about a conversation, it's easy to forget that it should be going two ways. To make the bag lighter you offload your worries or think of coping strategies and you get rid of each potato, one at a time. It would be a great book to use to introduce the idea of worried and anxiety to children, especially in the uncertain times we are facing at the moment.Sometimes having a lot of worries whirling around in our minds can escalate them and make them seem worse than they are.

You can find a lovely Mindfulness Pack available here, as well as some instructions on how to make your very own Stress Toy. It is a picture book but it could be used with older children if you ask them to think about how it could be used to support younger children. As their parent or carer, it's up to you to talk to them when you think they might need a nudge in the right direction, or to share news or information that's going to affect their lives.The story is about a girl who starts to worry about lots of everyday things and one day she wakes up to a huge bag of worries. She offloads a telescope and explains how Grandad had said he would look at the stars with her but now he has left her.

Using the Huge Bag of Worries we can use puppets or characters, in this case we used an elf and asked, ‘If the elf had a bag of worries what might be in it? Presents an introduction to the ideas behind listening to children and young people and how to do it. The Huge Bag of Worries is useful to help you understand that life doesn’t always stay positive and, while it sometimes seems that the weight of your worries may grow too great to manage, you cannot ignore or attempt to hide from your problems as a way to deal with them. We all want children to grow up in a safe and loving environment and to become happy, confident adults. Will be of interest to social workers, youth workers, counsellors, teachers, nurses and other practitioners.

Talking with your child about separation, illness, death or other life-changing topics might be emotional and distressing for both of you. If you’re feeling crafty, making a Worry Worm is a great way to help your children open up about their emotions. The mental heath nurse who introduced me to the book said she had used it successfully with older children. One activity that springs to mind is using a bag and potatoes and adding things to a bag to show each worry or feeling.