An important part of growing up for kids is learning how to navigate their emotional world. Understanding how to manage emotions takes time, but there are ways to help your child along their journey of social-emotional learning and growth.
“Emotions may seem more overwhelming for children than parents realize,” says Mallika Chopra, mindfulness consultant for the Stillwater Apple TV+ series, CEO of Chopra Global, and author of the Just Be book series. “With patience and kindness, parents can guide their children to express their feelings, find ways to release stress, gain perspective, and know that struggle and failure is part of learning.”
Books, like the Stillwater and Friends series, are great tools for teaching coping mechanisms, such as mindfulness and meditation, and building resilience amidst the ups and downs of everyday life.
Further introduce mindfulness at home with Stillwater Meditations, a spoken word album with music inspired by the hit TV series from Chopra, Sol Rising, and Steven Argila.
Coping Skills for Kids
Coping is the practice of managing difficult situations and stressful events through problem solving and regulating emotions. Healthy coping strategies are key to helping kids make sense of complex feelings and overcome failures and setbacks.
“Learning healthy coping skills when young can help children get through the natural challenges of growing up, but also set the stage for a healthy, connected, and purposeful life,” says Chopra. By learning how to solve problems, manage big feelings, and grow from failure, children build resilience, self-esteem, and confidence.
Here are a few simple techniques Chopra suggests for practicing coping skills at home.
- Encourage deep breathing exercises to help kids cope and manage stress during difficult times. Taking a deep breath allows children to better understand and gain control of their physical reactions to big feelings and emotions.
- Engage in conversations with your child to practice articulating and labeling feelings. You can ask them questions like, “How did that make you feel?” or “What emotions do you think you are experiencing?"
- Connect emotions to body sensations for another coping strategy for navigating stressful situations. For instance, “When nervous, kids often feel butterflies in their stomach. Or when they are sad, they feel heaviness in their heart,” says Chopra. By tuning into how their body reacts to an emotion, kids can better identify, express, and regulate emotions when they come up.
Books About Coping and Resilience
Books help model how to respond to complex feelings and equip children with coping skills when big emotions arise. Through relatable storylines and characters, kids can better draw connections from the stories to their own lives.
The Stillwater and Friends book series, written and illustrated by Jon J. Muth, is “a unique and wonderful tool to teach children skills for reflection and resilience in an entertaining, kind, and supportive way,” says Chopra. “Stillwater, the panda, is a loving, trusted friend and guide that not only teaches kids how to thrive, but also gives parents practical tools for their kids (and themselves) to live happier, healthier lives.”
Introduce your reader to the first book in the series, Stillwater and Koo Save the World. This inspiring story will teach kids how to approach obstacles and achieve their goals and dreams. In a world that may sometimes feel too big, readers will discover that small acts of kindness, both to themselves and others, can make a huge impact.
Meanwhile, Zen Shorts shares sweet and gentle stories filled with love and enlightenment, from learning how to deal with frustration to understanding the difference between good and bad.
Children can further connect to the stories on the screen with the Stillwater Apple TV+ series, a Peabody and Emmy Award-winning show. Each episode is designed to promote mindfulness skills and teach coping skills to regulate emotions.
Pair a book in the series with an episode of the Apple TV+ show and use this Stillwater Family Guide to spark conversation and reflection and reinforce the concepts explored in each episode. These guides provide discussion prompts, activities, and growth opportunities for you and your child to explore together while watching Stillwater.
Sample question: Have you ever wanted to quit something because you thought you weren’t good enough? Did you quit or stick with it? What would you like to do next time that happens?
"The challenges faced by the kids in Stillwater mirror those faced by kids every day — how to be patient, how to deal with frustration and disappointment, [and] how to manage feelings of being left out, lonely, and sad. Many parents have shared with me how watching the show has provided a safe space for their kids to learn, ask questions, and anticipate how they may deal with challenges in the future," says Chopra.
Shop the Stillwater and Friends book series and books about resilience below! You can find all books and resources at The Scholastic Store.
About Mallika Chopra
Chopra is the CEO of Chopra Global, a modern-day health company at the intersection of science and spirituality. She is the author of the Just Be Series — Just Breathe, Just Feel, and Just Be You — a trilogy of illustrated how-to books for children (and the adults in their lives). Chopra is the founder of Intent and co-founder of The Chopra Well with her brother, Gotham Chopra, and father, Deepak Chopra. Her writing and work have been featured in many publications and she has appeared on Good Morning America, the Today Show, CNN, and many other national media outlets. Chopra has an MBA from Kellogg Business School, and a master’s degree in psychology and education with a mind body spirit concentration from Teachers College, Columbia University.
