🌱😢 Sadness Part 2😢🌱

In this newsletter, you will get....

• Feature Article

• Activity of the Week

Feature Article

Jeffery Bernstein Ph.D. suggests several ways we can support and help our kids process sadness in 5 Supportive Things To Say When Your Child is Sad. It is important that we do what we can to be a safe person for our kids to come to when they come to us and we be there for them in ways they need our support.

Activity of the Week

Sadness Superhero is a creative, empowering activity that allows children to personify their emotions and gain control over their sadness in a playful, imaginative way. Here’s how to expand on it:

Create the Sadness Superhero

Begin by helping your child imagine a superhero who has the power to help people (or themselves) when they feel sad. Ask them to think about:

• Name: Let the child come up with a fun or meaningful name like "Captain Calm," or "Brave Heart."

• Appearance: What does the superhero look like? Maybe they wear a cape or carry a special item that helps with sadness.

• Powers: What special abilities does this superhero have to make sadness go away or make someone feel better? These powers could include:

  • Comfort Vision: The ability to see when someone is feeling sad and offer comfort.

  • Hug Strength: The power to give super-strength hugs that help lift others' spirits.

  • Laugh Laser: The ability to make others laugh with a beam of light.

  • Positive Thought Power: The ability to help people think of happy memories or things that make them smile.

Draw the Sadness Superhero

Encourage your child to create an image of their superhero, complete with their costume, powers, and any special tools or sidekicks. This helps your child visualize their inner strength and creates a tangible representation of their emotional resilience.

Once the superhero is created, have your child come up with a story where the superhero encounters a situation involving sadness—either their own or someone else’s. The superhero can use their powers to overcome the sadness and bring comfort.

Sadness Superhero in Action

The next time your child feels sad, remind them of their superhero. Ask, “What would your Sadness Superhero do right now to help?” Encourage them to channel the superhero’s powers to manage their sadness. For example:

• They might give themselves a comforting hug (Hug Strength).

• They might think of a happy memory (Positive Thought Power).

• They could imagine their superhero standing by their side, giving them courage to face their feelings.

Superhero Affirmations

Pair the superhero character with positive affirmations. For example, each time the superhero "helps" with sadness, your child can repeat a phrase like:

• “I am strong, even when I feel sad.”

• “I can help myself feel better.”

• “It’s okay to feel sad, but I have the power to feel better.”

The Sadness Superhero activity makes emotions feel less overwhelming by turning sadness into something that can be managed with creativity, imagination, and self-compassion.