Bea is anxiously waiting for her friends to show up for her birthday party. The worries start to grow around her like tree branches. She asks herself questions like, “What if my friends don’t like the games?” Her stomach flip-flops and she feels shaky. She tries to run away from the thoughts in the worry tree, but it doesn’t work! Bea uses deep-breathing exercises and visualization techniques to calm herself down. Includes a Note to Parents and Caregivers by Ara Schmitt, PhD, about the ways in which kids can respond to their anxious thoughts.--from the publisher
32 pages 978-1433829543 Ages 4-8
Keywords: anxiety, worrying, birthday party, friends, social skills, feelings, emotions, fears, self calming, emotional intelligence, self control, Read aloud to 4 four year olds, 5 five year olds, 6 six year olds
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Today is Bea's birthday party, Is she excited? Is she imagining all the fun she'll have with her friends?
No, Bea is hiding under the covers in her bed and imagining all the things that might go wrong at her party. "It's my anxiety, sighs Bea."
Her mind is sending up one What If after another. "What if no one plays with me?" "What will I do if they call me names?" It goes on and on.
What can Bea do to stop the What Ifs? How can her family help her? How can she calm her worries down and get the What Ifs to stop?
Strategies and simple coping skills help Bea get the What Ifs under control so she can go down to her birthday party and have fun.
A Note to Parents and Caregivers at the end of the story offers ways a parent can help an anxious child.
Recommended by: Barb Langridge, abookandahug.com
