Last fall I helped the kids I work with make coping skill
boxes. They were able to decorate them
and either take them home or to their classroom to help them if they started to
feel out of control. I talked to their
teachers and parents about how to implement the skills and which skills would
be useful in various settings. Some of
the kids took home some of their items and left some at school, especially those
that may have caused issues in the classroom.
The kids really seemed to enjoy decorating their boxes and
discussing how they would use their boxes and where they would keep them. The main point that I stressed during the
session was discussing how to implement skills and ways to remember
skills. While their hands were busy
decorating, they were happy to chat about their week and process emotions.
It is always enjoyable to see how different personalities
come out with the activities. Some wrote
their name on the box and then were ready to move on to another activity. Others meticulously painted for the entire
session. The important thing to remember
is to roll with it. When I insist that
they do things a certain way or spend a certain amount of time on a project,
they usually shut down on me. Several of
them opted for Legos after their box was complete.
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