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Thank you to Ethan, Hiyo and Emma for giving me permission to share your inventions with the class.

Every Friday Division 9 & 10 get together to work on Second Step. Second Step is a program that teaches children skills for social and academic success.

Our topic is:  Emotional Management.

This weeks lesson:  Calming Down Strong Feelings.

Lesson Concepts:

• Belly breathing calms down strong feelings.
• Belly breathing pushes the belly out when you breathe in.

Last time, you learned about feeling frustrated. You learned that when you have strong feelings, you can begin to calm down by putting your hands on your tummy to check in with your body. Then you say “stop” and name your feelings.

You know how to begin to calm down. But there is a special way of breathing that helps you calm down all the way. It is called Belly Breathing!

Let’s practice belly breathing. Your tummy is right above where you belly button is. Putting your hands there helps you check in with how you’re feeling. It also makes sure you do the right kind of breathing to calm you down.

• Put your hands on your tummy
• Focus your attention on your breathing
• Take a breath that makes your tummy move out when you breathe in, and in when you breathe out.
• Breathe in slowly through your nose. Breathe out slowly through your mouth.

It is like smelling some delicious hot soup, and blowing on it to cool it down.  Your breathing should be so quiet you can hardly hear it.

Let’s practice:

It’s okay to have strong feelings, especially right now when we can’t do what we want to do.  But when you have strong feelings, it can be hard to think about what to do.  Calming down helps you think again. It’s easier to calm down if you begin as soon as you start to have a strong feeling.

Next time you have the beginning of a strong feeling, give belly breathing a try!

Remember to go to Ms. Quin’s Blog for week four of music and movement activities.

http://sd41blogs.ca/quin-music/