Lately we’ve been talking about worrying in our house. About how it’s ok to feel worried and how everyone worries about different things but that doesn’t mean that it’s less important.
My one son just tried out for a sports team for the first time and was anxious.
My other son has weekly spelling tests at school that he wants to do well on. And by well he means he wants 100% EVERY time so he works hard at it but he worries.
School is long and exhausting, basketball games have started being more competitive, friendships are changing as they get older, and the list goes on. It was starting to get harder to pull full sentences out from them as they didn’t want to talk about it/didn’t know how to take a big feeling like worry and turn it into words that expressed how they feel.
Then my mom reminded me about Worry Dolls.
I had them when I was little but between all the moving, marriage, keeping track of two kids etc they were lost so I found some on Amazon this week for the boys.
What are Worry Dolls?
Worry Dolls are little dolls (most often from Guatemala) that you keep by your bed. Every night you sit down with your child and they tell a worry they may have to the doll. Each doll is one worry. You then put the doll in a bag and put it under your pillow and the worry goes away.
Spoiler alert… The doll doesn’t actually have magical powers that makes your worry poof away in the middle of the night. The worry goes away because it is a tool to get your child talking about specific things that worry them so you can:
a) be aware of their specific worry
b) offer to help if you can
c) give you an excuse to hug them and tell them that no matter the size of the worry you’re there for them.
I will be starting this with my boys this weekend so I will let you know how it goes!
I’d love to hear any tips and tricks you may have for getting your kids to talk more!