I received this book for the purpose of review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Being a parent can be tough and it can be especially tough when your children showcase some big emotions and you are unsure of how to deal with it.
Recently we have been through a lot and this has culminated in some emotional outbursts. Olivia is the optimum age for a fear of death and as expected, she had a complete and utter meltdown the other week about not wanting to die, not wanting us to die, not doing anything that meant she could die etc. This was then enhanced by a tragic accident in our local community which both children were aware of and it has been a little tough, to say the least.
Jack is also now 10 years old which is prime time for some big emotions – he’s no longer little enough for some things but not big enough for others and it can be tough for that age group.
We were recently asked if I would like to review Relax Kids: A Monster Handbook by Marneta Viegas, from Our Street books. The handbook is a toolkit of strategies and exercises to help children manage BIG feelings.
About The Author
Marneta Viegas is the founder of Relax Kids Ltd and is the UK’s leading expert in children’s relaxation. She founded Relax Kids in 2000 and since then has written 20 books as well as developed a range of mindful visualisation audios. She has also created a unique seven step program to teach children to relax and has trained over 5000 coaches from 50 countries with her method.
About The Book
The book is for ages 5-11 and helps children to manage the monsters of anxiety and worry, deal with the dragons of anger and stress and make friends with the grief and sadness gremlins. It is full of fun packed relaxation exercises, affirmations and activities to help children feel better about themselves.
What We Thought
As a parent, I love this handbook. Sometimes it can be tough knowing how to deal with certain emotions or feelings and with two children vastly different in both age and personality, sometimes one thing doesn’t work with one that works with the other. We have been working through the book as and when we need to and have found it really helpful.
Both Jack and Olivia are constantly asking to look at the book and go through the pages. If they are feeling any particular emotion, it helps them sometimes to sit down with the book and work through that categories activities or affirmations. Olivia particularly likes the Mirror Mirror affirmation pictured above.
Overall, I really like this book as a parent and I think it is an extremely handy resource to have to hand, especially knowing that the author is such an expert in her field. The children love it because there are so many activities and things to do that help them to get a grip on their feelings which is great.
Have you read this handbook before? You can pick up a copy here.
I have not seen this book but have had experience of when my kids have been through emotional times. This would have been really helpful for them
There must be so many more kids with anxiety and experiencing extreme emotions with everything that has happened in the past few years, so this seems like a good book to use with them x
I absolutely love the look of this book. What a lovely thing to have for any worries . Alessia would really benefit from one of these