Because there are only a few books available that specifically feature a parent who lives with a chronic illness, we’re branching out to books that focus on other types of illness, books that focus on children with illness, and books that talk about feelings. Hopefully these reviews will help you determine whether any of these books might be a good fit for your family discussions!
Dealing with Feeling…Worried
by Isabel Thomas
Kelly Peters received a copy of this book as a gift from Mamas Facing Forward. She was not compensated for this review and all opinions are her own.
“Dealing With Feeling…Worried” is part of the series by author Isabel Thomas working with different emotions, providing tips and advice on how to best express and deal with them. The book is set up as an informative conversation with the child. It is directed at “you,” the child, and makes it very approachable for young children. I think it would be appropriate for very small children who are just learning to name their feelings, all the way up through possibly 7- or 8-year-olds, as long as they weren’t put off by the simple language.
The book begins with a basic overview of worry: what it is, how it can make us feel, and different types of worries. The author covers the spectrum of worries that a child may feel: from test taking to bullying to seeing scary things on the news to dealing with a sick family member.
We next see how worries can manifest: how someone who is worried might be “grumpy,” how someone else might show worry in their face or body, or how some even try to hide their worries.
We then explore the many ways a child can work through their emotions. The book has several suggestions, which are repeated again at the end in a helpful “worry toolbox” section with the glossary after the story. Suggestions include encouraging the child to try to take their mind off of the worry by listening to music or playing, trying deep breathing, being active through walking or running, sharing their worries with someone they trust, drawing pictures to explain how they are feeling, and practicing for big events like tests.
The author doesn’t specifically deal with chronic illness, and the only time illness is mentioned is when they are speaking about the different types of worry a child may have, so there is no direct language about health issues.
I feel like this book is best for kids who are either just learning about their feelings, or children who may have some difficulty naming and expressing their feelings. It is simple, uses basic language, and has plain themes and a conversational tone. I would definitely recommend it for anyone who has a worried child who may need to wade into the waters of living with some worry.
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