A vital resource for developing and nurturing children's physical, emotional and mental wellbeing, this guidebook supplies a range of easily implementable, creative options to enable young people's feelings to be heard, seen and accepted just as they are.

Anita Kate Garai is a teacher, poet and mindfulness wellbeing consultant and facilitator, with a BEd Hons from Cambridge University and an Advanced Diploma in the Therapeutic and Educational Application of the Arts. She has been a primary school classroom teacher for over 25 years, leading on personal, social and emotional development, and has worked with local authorities as a specialist in behaviour, emotional wellbeing and creativity, developing programmes for pupils and delivering training to school communities. Anita offers wellbeing programmes to individuals, schools and organisations, using mindfulness, embodiment and creativity.

To get the full Being With Our Feelings experience, this book can be purchased alongside the storybooks. All books can be purchased together as a set, Being With Our Feelings: Guidebook and Four Storybooks Set, 978-0-367-77231-4.

A vital resource for developing and nurturing children's physical, emotional and mental wellbeing, this guidebook supplies a range of easily implementable, creative options to enable young people's feelings to be heard, seen and accepted just as they are. Providing a range of mediums and photocopiable resources to allow for a personalised and flexible use, the Being With Our Feelings toolkit is a must-have resource for ensuring a mindful, embodied approach to wellbeing.

Full of practical advice, this toolkit provides a supportive and uncomplicated framework to encourage the exploration and expression of a child's emotional world. Centred around the concept of seven key principles to encourage the development of healthy relationships with our feelings, each of the keys is unpacked through a main teaching activity, with clear teaching points, followed by options for mindful reflections, creative explorations and opportunities to apply their learning using the storybooks. Presenting opportunities for assessing and reviewing understanding and progression throughout, this toolkit follows a TEARS structure - teaching and exploring, applying, reviewing and self-evaluating.

With a focus on exploring, understanding and accepting our feelings, this book encourages:

• increased emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing
• more conscious behaviour, reduced bullying and healthier relationships
• greater compassion, empathy and kindness
• an understanding of integrity and values
• a diverse feelings culture
• an established feelings language
• a space for freedom and creativity of expression including using imagery, sound and movement
• all-inclusive wellbeing rituals and routines that embody the energy and sensation of feelings

Whether you are a teacher or school leader looking to develop your wellbeing curriculum or a caring adult looking to help children to be with all their feelings in a healthy way, this accessible book will enable you to support children's enhanced development through a greater sense of self-worth and acceptance.

PART 1 - ABOUT BEING WITH OUR FEELINGS (BWOF)

• What is it all about?
• The BWOF approach
• Outcomes of the BWOF approach
• Using the BWOF toolkit
• My BWOF story - the inspiration
• How our feelings keep us well
• The BWOF approach to listening
• Being trauma wise
• Some BWOF FAQs - your questions answered.

PART 2 - ACTIVITIES & RESOURCES

• Teaching and Exploring Key 1 - We let our feelings flow and move
• Teaching and Exploring Key 2 - Feelings change, they come and they go
• Applying Keys 1 & 2 using I Don't Want To Be Me!
• Reviewing and Self-Evaluating Keys 1 & 2

• Teaching and Exploring Key 3 - Being With All Our Feelings is Brave
• Teaching and Exploring Key 4 - All Our Feelings Are Welcome
• Applying Keys 3 & 4 using The Red String
• Reviewing and Self-Evaluating Keys 3 & 4

• Teaching and Exploring Key 5 - We Show Kindness Towards Our Feelings
• Teaching and Exploring Key 6 - Our Feelings Don't Need A Reason To Be Here
• Applying Keys 5 & 6 using I Just Can't Decide
• Reviewing and Self-Evaluating Keys 5 & 6

• Teaching and Exploring Key 7 - Our Feelings Don't Need To Be Fixed
• Applying Key 7 and all 7 Keys using What If All The Trees Blow Away?
• Reviewing and Self-Evaluating Key 7, Keys 1 - 6 and Transition

• The classroom
• Playground and lunchtimes
• Parent communication/relationships
• Staff meetings and training days
• Special assemblies

PART 3 - More Photocopiable Resources

1. The 7 Keys
2. The BWOF questions for mindful embodiment
3. First Aid Box of Mantras
4. Feeling Cards
5. Blank cards
6. Word Banks
7. Door Signs/Posters
8. Badges
9. Useful Phrases
10. Feeling Bubble
11. I Am Feeling...
12. The Creativity Explorers

13. TEARS structure

14. Blank TEAR

15. Language Swaps

16. Meditations

PART 4 - Appendix

• Getting support and keeping in touch
• Recommended reading and links