life skills emotions · Ages 6-8

The Big Feeling That Needed a Smaller Job

A child overwhelmed by anger learns to give the feeling a safe job, like squeezing clay or counting breaths, before choosing what to do next.

The whole story

1. On Saturday morning, Maya drew a dragon with silver wings. Then her little brother bumped the table. The dragon became a red scribble.

2. Maya's fists curled tight. Her face grew hot. The angry feeling filled her from her toes to the top of her hair.

3. Maya wanted to shout, “You ruined it!” She wanted to push the crayons away. Instead, she noticed her brother's shoulders had climbed up to his ears.

4. Maya's mother sat beside her. “That feeling is very big,” she said. “It needs a safe job before you choose what to do.”

5. Maya gave the feeling a job: squeeze. She pressed the clay until it made a funny little pancake.

6. Then Maya gave it another job: count. She breathed in for one, two, three, and out for one, two, three, four.

7. After three slow breaths, the feeling was still there. But it was small enough for Maya to hear her own thinking.

8. Maya said, “I was making my dragon. Please ask before you touch my drawing.” Her brother nodded. “I am sorry.”

9. Maya chose what to do next. She repaired the dragon and made a clay pancake dragon too. The big feeling had found a smaller job.

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