1st Edition

Managing Big Feelings and Hidden Fears A Practical Guidebook for ‘Who’s Afraid of the Monster?’

By Penny McFarlane Copyright 2023
    98 Pages 15 B/W Illustrations
    by Speechmark

    To get the full Who’s Afraid of the Monster? experience, this book can be purchased alongside the storybook. Both books can be purchased together as a set: Who’s Afraid of the Monster: A Storybook and Guide for Managing Big Feelings and Hidden Fears, 9781032334318.

    A vital resource, this guide provides practical strategies to address children’s anxieties about real and hidden issues. Intended for use with the accompanying storybook, Who’s Afraid of the Monster?, which offers a child-friendly story in verse of a monster who nobody has seen or heard and a King who pretends to be brave but is very scared. This guide provides the theory behind and offers practical solutions to a variety of Big Feelings and Hidden Fears.

    A companion guide for use by primary educators, support staff and all those working with children, the book is divided into three easy to follow parts. Part One presents the theory behind how and why Big Feelings in children arise and how Creative Art and Drama can help. Part Two contains activities and exercises with photocopiable instructions, as well as a list of resources for each activity and guidelines for safe working. Part Three offers further activities and ways in which to exploit the story such as discussion points, plays and models.

    Underpinned by substantiated theory into the stages of children’s emotional development, it offers realistic solutions for parents, carers, teachers and classroom assistants who simply do not have the time or resources to attend to their children’s very real but hard-to-verbalise fears.

    Part One

    Why this Book now

    How to use this Book

    Resources and Materials

    Why Creative Art and Drama Activities

    The Value of Metaphor

    What happens in Children’s Brains

    Helping the Child Manage Big Feelings

    Stages of Emotional Development

    Emotional Development and Abstract Fear

    Externalising and Witnessing

    The Importance of Ritual

    Part Two

    Big Feelings List

    Assessment Activities

    Big Feelings and Happiness Box

    Techniques Used

    Anger

    Candle Breathing

    Saucepan Breathing

    Robot Doll Mime

    Volcano Mime

    Volcano Discussion

    Jack-in-the-Box Mime

    Angry Monster Drawing

    About Me Book

    Worry

    Golden String Breathing

    Belly Breathing

    Warrior Pose

    Lion Pose

    Tree Pose

    Worry Doll Drawing

    Safe Place Drawing

    Go Worry Rhyme

    Bad Dream Storyboard

    Pink and Blue Room Discussion

    Part Three

    Ideas for Discussion

    Ideas for Enactment

    Puppets

    Material

    Models

    Appendix

    Freeze Frames

    Speaking from Role

    De-Roling

     

    References

    Biography

    Penny McFarlane works as a clinical supervisor and trainer for counsellors and arts therapists. Formerly a mainstream teacher, she qualified as a dramatherapist and then spent 25 years bringing dramatherapy into education. www.pennyannmcfarlane.com

    Rebecca A. Jarvis graduated with a First Class BA(Hons) in Illustration at University of Plymouth, UK, where she also received the Dane Watkins Interactive Award. Her mixed media work focuses predominantly on hopeful imagery, especially useful during the current times. See more of Rebecca’s work on her website: www.rajarvisstudios.co.uk