Children often struggle with overwhelming feelings of worry or anxiety, but having a concrete way to express and manage these emotions can make a big difference. The Worry Monster Box is a fun and effective tool that helps children identify and "shrink" their worries. By turning anxious thoughts into something tangible, this craft provides kids with a way to visualize and let go of their fears, offering them a sense of comfort and control. We spoke with Tom Timmerman, LSW, a Parent Navigator at Sanford Children’s CHILD Services, to explore how the Worry Monster can help children understand their worries and develop healthy coping mechanisms.
Helping Children Understand and Manage Their Worries
Tom explains, “Identifying the thoughts we are having is an important step in gaining self-awareness about where our emotions are coming from. You can teach your child about how their thoughts can cause sad or mad feelings and potentially things like tummy aches, tantrums, and/or tears.” A key part of managing these emotions is recognizing the connection between thoughts and feelings, and the Worry Monster Box offers a concrete way for children to visualize this process. When kids place their worries in the box, they can see that their concerns are being handled by the "monster," giving them a sense of relief. The Worry Monster Box makes it easier for children to understand that their worries are normal but also something they can manage and shrink with support from caregivers. By making their worries tangible and placing them in the box, children can gain comfort knowing their fears are taken care of.
The Role of a Safe Space for Worries
Having a safe space to “feed” their worries into, like the Worry Monster Box, is an important tool for children to cope with feelings of fear or nervousness. Tom explains, “The main idea here is to give your child permission to not worry about things they can receive help with. They can hand these thoughts off to get a small sense of being taken care of at the very least.”
The act of placing worries into the box can also help children develop positive thinking skills. As Tom notes, “At best, they will feel the worry has been completely eliminated because the monster has it now. It is possible they can use the power of positive thinking to overcome intrusive thoughts and go on with their day as though they never had an issue at all.”
Using the Worry Monster Box for Open Communication
“The Worry Monster Box gives a good analogy for one way we can help children with their worries. Children can be encouraged to tell caregivers their concerns,” says Tom, “and we can let them know we will handle the situation or that it is not a concern for children to have because it is an adult situation to be handled.” Children often do better with concrete, black and white examples rather than abstract explanations. Using the box to physically place a worry inside and “feed” it to the monster gives a great demonstration of what they should be doing in relationship with their caregiver. By explaining that some worries are for adults to manage, caregivers can reduce feelings of responsibility that might overwhelm the child.
Teaching the Difference Between Manageable and Overwhelming Worries
It is important for caregivers to help children differentiate between worries they can manage and those that are too big for them. Tom suggests, “Give your child examples of things that are child-sized worries! These can be things like, being a good listener, using nice touches with friends, family and pets, trying new foods even if they “look yucky,” picking up their toys, learning new skills or other tasks that require them to power through stress or easier potential options to learn to make good choices and learn age-appropriate skills.” Encouraging children to focus on their own worries and discuss them openly allows caregivers to provide reassurance and support. For larger, more adult-sized worries, caregivers can offer verbal reassurance that they will handle those concerns. As Tom puts it, “Verbal reassurance that caregivers will take care of the ‘grown-up’ worries is a great place to start.” Tom highlights, “Adding the tangible “worry” to feed the Worry Monster Box further drives the point home that this is not a worry the child needs to have.”
Through imaginative play and the simple act of feeding worries into the box, children can gain comfort knowing their worries are taken care of. By turning abstract emotions into something tangible, children can understand and express their fears in a healthy, constructive way. With this tool in their emotional toolbox, children can develop the skills to manage their anxieties and feel more confident in handling their emotions.
Ready to get crafty? Watch how to make this awesome project here!