I Can Handle Scared Book

Help children handle big emotions with this class-made book!

With the recent weather related events such as hurricanes, tornados and fires, children may be scared and don’t know how to handle their fear. They may experience physical changes such as loss of appetite, trouble sleeping or headaches.

If this describes a child you care for, this printable book will assist in helping your child find alternative ways to calm and feel safe. This type of book is called a social story and is designed to help children learn how to seek help and get their needs met. You may choose to print this book as is or use it as a prototype to develop your own. It is best to make your own book using photos of the child needing new skills.

Read the book daily with your child. Practice the breathing techniques everyday with your child when he or she is calm. When the child is unable to breathe for themselves, an adult must breathe for the child.

Print the book on 8.5” x 11” paper, landscape layout and staple at the left margin. You may wish to laminate the pages and hole-punch at the top before placing in a 3-ring binder for long-term use.

ConsciousDiscipline.com

I Ca

n H

an

dle

Sc

are

d

I’m s

afe.

Kee

p br

eath

ing.

I c

an h

andle

this.

So

me

tim

es

I fe

el s

ca

red

. I m

igh

t fe

el s

ca

red

wh

en

I a

m a

lon

e

at n

igh

t in

my

be

d.

I mig

ht

fee

l sc

are

d a

fte

r I w

atch

so

me

thin

g o

n T

V t

hat

I a

m n

ot

sure

wh

eth

er

it w

ill h

app

en

to

me

or

no

t.

An

d la

tely

, I m

igh

t fe

el s

ca

red

w

he

n it

ra

ins

be

ca

use

it r

em

ind

s m

e

of

wh

en

it r

ain

ed

so

ha

rd.

•H

om

es

go

t fl

oo

de

d

•W

ind

ow

s b

roke

•

Tre

es

fell

•T

he

re w

as

no

ele

ctr

icit

y

It r

ain

ed

so

ha

rd t

hat

we

co

uld

n’t

g

o o

uts

ide

be

ca

use

it w

asn

’t s

afe

. Th

is h

eav

y ra

in a

nd

win

d w

as

ca

use

d b

y a

hu

rric

an

e. D

uri

ng

th

e h

urr

ica

ne

so

me

of

the

se t

hin

gs

ha

pp

en

ed

:

Wh

at h

ap

pe

ne

d in

yo

ur

ho

me

? If

yo

u a

re w

illin

g, s

ha

re w

ith

yo

ur

frie

nd

s.

•H

ea

da

che

•

Up

set

tum

my

•N

ot

fee

ling

hu

ng

ry

•T

rou

ble

sle

ep

ing

•

Afr

aid

of

the

da

rk

So

me

th

ing

s I m

igh

t e

xpe

rie

nc

e n

ow

are

:

Ra

ise

yo

ur

ha

nd

if y

ou

hav

e fe

lt a

ny

of

the

se.

Wh

o w

ou

ld li

ke t

o s

ha

re?

•N

igh

tma

res

•B

ein

g c

ran

ky

•W

ett

ing

my

be

d

•C

ryin

g e

asi

ly

Wh

en I

feel

sca

red

my

eyeb

row

s an

d e

yelid

s

go

up,

an

d th

e si

des

of

my

mo

uth

pu

ll d

ow

n.

Scar

ed s

ays,

“S

eek

safe

ty a

nd

comfo

rt f

rom

thos

e yo

u love

.”

Sc

are

d is

a s

ign

for

me

to

loo

k fo

r h

elp

. I a

sk m

y m

om

, my

da

d, o

r m

y te

ach

ers

to

h

elp

me

wh

en

I fe

el s

ca

red

. Th

ey w

ill r

em

ind

m

e t

hat

I a

m s

afe

.

You’re

saf

e.

Keep

bre

athing

.

I wi

ll ke

ep y

ou s

afe.

Fee

ling

sc

are

d s

ign

als

for

me

to

bre

ath

e

de

eply

3 t

ime

s. I

ca

n c

ho

ose

to

bre

ath

e li

ke

a S

.T.A

.R.,

Ba

lloo

n, P

retz

el o

r D

rain

.

Brea

the

with

me.

My

tea

che

r, m

y m

om

, my

da

d o

r a

frie

nd

, c

an

als

o p

ut

loti

on

on

my

ha

nd

. Th

en

, I c

an

ru

b

it o

n e

ach

fin

ge

r st

art

ing

wit

h m

y p

inky

, n

am

ing

th

e p

eo

ple

th

at c

an

he

lp m

e fe

el s

afe

.

My

tea

che

r, p

are

nts

or

frie

nd

s c

an

als

o d

o a

st

ory

han

d w

ith

me

wh

en I

feel

sc

are

d. T

he

n I

ca

n d

o it

w

ith

my

frie

nd

s w

he

n t

hey

fe

el s

ca

red

to

o.

To h

elp

a ch

ild m

anag

e st

ress

. St

art a

t the

pin

ky fi

nger

. As

you

mas

sage

eac

h

finge

r tel

l the

sto

ry o

f the

chi

ld’s

life

. The

thum

b di

sclo

ses

the

stre

ssor

and

at t

he s

ame

time

reas

sure

s th

e ch

ild th

at s

/he

is s

afe

and

capa

ble.

Stor

y H

and

Thum

b: D

escr

ibe

the

prob

lem

ar

ea o

r con

cern

. Bu

t the

thum

b sa

id, “

Wha

t abo

ut m

e?

Som

etim

es I

feel

sca

red

the

stor

m w

ill co

me

agai

n.” T

he th

umb

was

wor

ried.

Fol

d ch

ild’s

th

umb

in a

nd w

rap

finge

rs a

roun

d it

and

say,

“No

mat

ter w

hat h

appe

ns, I

am

her

e to

kee

p yo

u sa

fe. Y

ou m

ay a

lway

s co

me

to m

e,

you’

re s

afe,

bre

athe

with

me.

”

“Thi

s lit

tle

finge

r lik

es

to

dra

w.”

“Thi

s lit

tle

finge

r lik

es

to

pla

y.”

“Thi

s lit

tle

finge

r lik

es

to

lear

n.”

Hol

d ch

ild

firm

ly b

y th

e w

rist.

On

each

fing

er,

tell

a st

ory

abou

t the

ch

ild’s

lif

e.“T

his

little

fing

er

likes

to

com

e to

sch

ool.”

If I

am

at

sch

oo

l, I c

an

ge

t m

y Fe

elin

g B

ud

dy

Sc

are

d, a

nd

say

, “Hello S

care

d, b

reat

he

with

me

Scar

ed, yo

u ar

e sa

fe.”

Th

en

I b

reat

he

de

eply

wit

h

Sc

are

d 3

tim

es

an

d s

ay:

“You

look

so

scar

ed,

yo

u ca

n ha

ndle t

his.

” A

nd

I ke

ep o

n b

reat

hin

g

wit

h m

y fe

elin

g b

ud

dy.

I ca

n a

lso

he

lp m

yse

lf fe

el c

alm

by:

•M

ake

a d

raw

ing

of

wh

at I

fin

d s

ca

ry

•I c

an

ch

oo

se t

o d

o a

sto

ry h

an

d w

ith

so

me

on

e

•I c

an

ch

oo

se t

o t

alk

wit

h s

om

eo

ne

•

I ca

n c

ho

ose

to

co

nti

nu

e b

reat

hin

g d

ee

ply

Wh

en

so

me

on

e fe

els

sc

are

d in

my

Sch

oo

l Fa

mily

, th

ey m

igh

t lo

ok

like

th

is:

I ca

n b

e h

elp

ful b

y:

“I d

id it

! I w

as h

elpf

ul!”

Wis

hin

g w

ell

He

lpin

g in

th

e

Sa

fe P

lac

e

Sh

ari

ng

a F

ee

ling

Bu

dd

y

Bre

ath

ing

for

an

oth

er

child

Fee

ling

sc

are

d c

an

be

ha

rd, i

t m

igh

th

app

en

th

rou

gh

ou

t m

y d

ay. B

ut

I ca

n

ha

nd

le it

!!! Y

ES

I C

AN

!!