I am so excited to share these books with the world soon!
In the meantime, feel free to take a little sneak peak into what they are all about!
Book Summary: In this book, diverse children express what they have learned to do when feeling emotions such as unhappy, sad, or stressed. Each child reveals a plan of action he or she uses to lift the negative feeling. The children use the word “reset strategy,” leaving the listener with language to use when needing to manage their own feelings.
Purpose: There are two main purposes for this book. First, to provide children with research-based reset strategies and practice in creating their own happiness. That is the goal! Second, to provide adults with the appropriate dialogue to help children process and work through their emotions.
Audience: The intended audienceof readers includes, but is not limited to: children, educators, pre-service teachers, school staff, therapists, counselors, medical professionals, child-life specialists, daycare providers, social workers, and families. This book is appropriate for any individual who would like to do their part as a mental health advocate for kids!
Design: The beautiful thing about this book is that it can be adapted to fit the needs of the audience. It can be read to a whole group or one-on-one with a child. It can be read from beginning to end, or in segments so that the focus could simply be practicing one strategy at a time. Once read to children, they can refer back to it with an adult or by themselves whenever necessary. When using the reset strategies, they can be combined and modified to fit the age and interest of the reader. The reset strategies in this book are selected to be practiced when feeling a mix of emotions such as sadness, anxiousness, worry, stress, or anger.
Interactive Read Aloud Discussion and Prompts: In order to maintain powerful conversations throughout the entire book, you will notice before, during (during reading discussion prompts placed at the top of pages throughout the book), and after reading discussion prompts. These prompts guide you through this book, providing designated places to stop and have important discussions with children about the information you are reading with them. Some prompts are in the form of questions. Other prompts are statements intended to invite children to share their thoughts. You can select the prompts that work for you, add any you feel necessary, and modify to fit the person or group you are reading to. Do not feel the need to stop and use every prompt that is provided, as you want to make sure to hold the meaning of the book.
Need for this Book: According to a recent study conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Lebrun-Harris, Ghandour, Kogan, & Warren, 2022), the number of children diagnosed with mental health conditions has considerably increased in recent years. Specifically, this study found a 27% increase in anxiety and a 24% increase in depression. Children of all ages are faced with many day to day challenges in our present world (Deolmi & Pisani, 2020). Studies such as this emphasize the need for more evidence-based resources to assist children in coping with challenges in order to improve their overall health and well-being. This book serves as one of those resources!
Final Thoughts: I believe that if practiced, these reset strategies will help increase children’s feelings of happiness! I do, however, recognize that certain circumstances warrant additional support and expertise. In that case, these strategies can aid in the supplementary work being done elsewhere.
Extended and Condensed Version of “When the Going Gets Tough.”
I created two versions of this book with specific audiences in mind. Please see below for information related to both versions in order to choose which is the best first for you!
Extended Version:
The Extended Version Includes:
1. The Story – This book follows a diverse cast of characters, each sharing their personal strategies for coping with emotions like sadness, stress, anxiety, and frustration.
2. Additional Discussion Prompts – These carefully crafted prompts are found throughout the book, at the top of the page. The prompts offer designated moments to pause and engage in meaningful conversations with children about the content you’re exploring together.
3. Interactive Activity Guides – These interactive guides offer children opportunities to engage with the book’s concepts before, during, and after reading. They are designed to help young readers process, practice, and reinforce the strategies introduced in the story.
4. Character Coloring Pages – A collection of full-page illustrations featuring each unique character from the story, designed to engage children in a creative and relaxing activity while reinforcing their connection to the characters and strategies.
5. Printable PDFs – Access printable PDFs of the discussion prompts, activity guides, and character coloring pages. These materials can be easily printed, saved digitally, or reused as often as needed, providing ongoing support for emotional learning and engagement with the reset strategies.
Audience Members: the intended audience of readers for this version includes, but is not limited to educators, pre-service teachers, school staff, therapists, counselors, medical professionals, child-life specialists, daycare providers, social workers, and families.
1.The Story – This book follows a diverse cast of characters, each sharing their personal strategies for coping with emotions like sadness, stress, anxiety, and frustration.
2. Discussion Prompts – These carefully crafted prompts are found throughout the book, at the top of the page. The prompts offer designated moments to pause and engage in meaningful conversations with children about the content you’re exploring together.
Possible Audience Members: The intended audience of readers for this version of the book includes, but is not limited to children reading the book on their own, along with the general public who does not plan to utilize all the resources included in the extended version.
Personally, I see benefits for including both versions in one’s library!
For educational and personal use, I plan to have the extended version for myself to utilize when working with children/my daughter, but provide the condensed version for children to read and refer back to on their own!
Dr. Erin Peterson
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