HOW ARE YOU, MY CHILD?

(Mental Health Worksheets for Parents to Support Children when Coping with Stress)

By: Paula Diaz, Ivana Mabunay

Child Psychologists

Infographics by: Alyssa Dar Juan

Intern Counselor

This new normal may be giving parents more time at home but it can also be demanding for them in trying to balance work, child-care and self-care. It has now become a daily challenge to manage their own worries while keeping their children under control.  Wouldn’t it be great to have simple helpful resources that parents can easily pull-out and work on with their children? Materials that can help parents to get their children more involved while teaching them important self-care and stress management techniques?

Here are fun activity sheets you can easily download and print out.  These worksheets work best when you use them with your child to help you talk about a variety of situations and to help you promote good mental health.  These enable the child to have a chance to raise issues that you may otherwise find difficult to talk about or highlight different situations and ways to deal with them positively. Together, you can find ways to cope with difficult times, be thankful for the blessings and know the support you both need.
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However, it is normal what we are naturally feeling due to the circumstances we are in. It helps to make sense of and understand our current state. It also informs us of what kind of support we may need – self-care, confiding in people we trust, or professional support.
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http://health.nzdf.mil.nz/mind/about-mental-health/the-mental-health-continuum/

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The purpose of this worksheet is to focus on the possible resources we have and things we can do rather than the lack of control and things we can’t do.  Switching the focus of your mind, you can reduce the vulnerability to stress and increase your ability to manage the stress.
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With this simple and effective tool, you can help and teach your child to figure out ways to cope with the stress.   
When they feel worried or overwhelmed having helpful coping strategies is crucial. 

It is also important to validate the child's need to cope, at the same time assess how effective their coping is. This tool can help them be more aware of which coping tools are effective and how they can adjust their coping to benefit them.
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