Well, that break was a little longer than planned. Turns out I don’t love working remotely on a seven-hour time difference. Who knew? 🤷♀️
But the great news is that we’ve just landed back in London. And that means that not only am I back on the Yorkshire teas, I’m also on the same (or at least similar) time zone to most of you. Plus I can also start up my in-person work again. Hip hip hooray! as my two-year-old would say.
When not busy with the packing as we prepare to move back to our house this weekend, I am scribbling ideas in my notebook. As they formulate, obviously you’ll be the first to know!
In the meantime, my weekly email is going to focus on my book club recommendation. We have a few books circulating amongst you already, and those of you who’ve already had one have loved it. So c’mon, let’s go.
This week’s book club book is The Colour Monster: The Feelings Doctor and the Emotions Toolkit by Anna Llenas
We’re at my mum and dad’s in Kentish Town until we move back into ours. They have the dreamy Owl Bookshop down the road and I was so excited to find this new Colour Monster book in there!
This book is brilliant for teaching kids (and adults) how to calm ourselves down when we are having some big feelings.
What I particularly love about this book is that it supplies tools that most of us weren’t taught as kids. Not having had that training, we can find it hard as adults to offer help in those big moments:
But fear not! There are two fold-out pages of ideas. There’s got to be at least a couple of ideas in there for everyone.
Take note: I definitely don’t recommend trying to whip it out for the first time in the middle of an emotional thunderstorm. You’ll be asking for trouble, however tempting it might feel in a moment of I’ve-tried-everything-else panic.
I do recommend using this book by reading through it in happy, calm, quiet times, so kids get a chance to really explore the idea that (a) It’s OK to feel different emotions and (b) they can have tools up their sleeves to help them calm down.
1️⃣ Build it up slowly by reading it in the good times.
2️⃣ Pick a couple of their favourite ideas from the story to have on hand - e.g., make a glitter bottle, or practise asking for a hug.
3️⃣ When they are feeling a big feeling and having trouble bringing themselves down from it, gently remind them they can reach into their 'toolkit' and try one of the things they've made or been practising.
Emotional regulation is a buzz word you’ve probably heard a lot… but my guess is most of you won’t feel so confident about what it means or how to help. I think that after reading this you will.
The Noisy Book Chain is open again for business! So if you would like to enjoy this book for free, reply with your address and you’ll be a link in that chain!
See you next week, my friend.
Becca
