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Supporting A Child's Emotional Literacy With Mighty Cards
Disclosure - I have previously collaborated with Mighty Cards. This post was last updated October 2023
We are now heading in to the final year of primary school and whilst little J is showing no signs of anxiety or nervousness, I know this year will be tough on him for many reasons. Firstly the last year of primary means the end to everything he has known for the past 7 years. He will be split up from his friends as they head to different secondary schools, preparing and revising for KS2 SATS will also be a tough time as no one likes exams. Supporting a child's emotional literacy is very important and I am going to try everything I can to keep him as calm and stress free as possible.
When we were recently sent a set of Mighty Cards, I knew that these may be what I had been looking for. The cards which are designed for ages 4-11, provide effective and engaging strategies to help children manage their feelings and emotions. The pack consists of 36 cards which are divided in to 3 types of activities.
There are a wide range of emotions that we experience every day including happy, sad, excited, worried, embarrassed and anxious. Sometimes these may be difficult to deal with so having some simple strategies to follow can really help deal with those tricky feelings.
The cards are really simple to use and understand, and for us we have been taking the time to choose a card just before dinner to help us enjoy our evening a little better and then before bed to help us feel rested and content.
Breathe
Breathing strategies to calm your body and focus on your mind.
A sample of a Breathe Card is Finger Breathing.
Use a finger from your right hand to gently trace up and down the fingers on your left hand.
Each time you trace up a finger, take a slow deep breath in through your nose. Each time you trace down a finger, slowly release your breath through your mouth.
Once you have traced the fingers on one hand, swap hands and repeat.
Move
Physical exercises to help relieve tension in your body.
A sample of a Move Card is Wall Push.
Stand in front of a wall and place your arms out in front of you so your hands are touching the wall.
When you are ready, try with all your strength to push the wall over. Count for 10 seconds, pushing hard. Then shake your arms and legs gently to release the tension in your body.
Repeat 3 times.
Create
Creative activities to build a sense of calm and control.
A sample of a Create Card is Calm Poster.
Write the word CALM on paper in big writing. Colour and decorate the page using your favourite colours and stickers.
As you are colouring and decorating, imagine that you are filling yourself with calmness and joy.
Place your CALM poster somewhere where you can see it often.
How you use the cards is down to your own personal choice however even though they are designed with children in mind we have all been using the cards and after just a few days we have already felt the benefit.
Dr Gail Sinitsky is a child psychologist and founder of Young & Mighty and has been working with children and families for over 15 years, providing assessment and therapy, in schools and NHS clinics. As part of her work, she specialises in designing and delivering highly successful workshops and groups for children experiencing 'tricky emotions', low self-esteem, trauma, and relational difficulties.
If you would like to know more about Dr Gail and Young and Mighty you can visit the website.
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Michelle