Don't Pop Your Cork on Mondays: The Children's Anti-Stress Book

Rating:
Summary: disappointing
Review: Based on the reviews, I expected something much better. This is not a book that as a professional, I found to be very useful.

Rating:
Summary: Counseling Kids
Review: I am a counseling intern working with a head start type program that works with parents and preschoolers. I used this book to teach the children and parents about stress management! The book teaches children breathing techniques, guided imagery, and progressive muscle relaxation (all stress reducing activities that are used for adults).
For preschoolers, I skipped over some of the big words, but it has great illustrations and comparisons! It takes a difficult to understand concept and makes it understandable and managable for children.

Rating:
Summary: simple and to the point
Review: This book provides a straighforward approach for elementary school age childern to handle tension and stress.

My daughter was a perfectionist, if she got something less than 100 on a paper - it was the end of the world. She would stress out every week on the night before a spelling test, not being able to sleep, or waking up in the middle of the night crying. It was really causing problems for the rest of the family. -- This was in FIRST grade!!!
We had to intervene and help her to assemble the tools to deal with her stress and anxiety.

This book gave her comfort because she realized it was written not just for her but for other kids who felt the way she did, and that she could overcome the anxiety through techniques used by other kids.
At first we read it together when she was feeling okay. We practiced the relaxation methods. Then we put them into use when needed and they did help.
After a while she just kept the book her "library" (the bathroom) and would look it over from time to time.
She is in 5th grade now and has the normal disappointment when she does not achieve an "A".

I must say to any parent don't expect one book or one time to fix the problem your kid is having. It's like weight gain - by the time you realize you've gained ten pounds it will take a while to lose it. Your kid did not become tense overnight. And the problem won't go away overnight. Be patient,loving and kind.