23What Do I Do With My Feelings?

A few months ago I started meeting once a week with my school counselor, Mrs. Rogers. At first I thought it was a waste of time, but now I really like having time to talk about how I feel without having to worry about hurting my mom’s feelings or saying things that will make Connor sad.

Do a feeling check. Stop now and then to notice what you are feeling. Do you feel happy or proud? What happened to make you feel sad or angry? Do you have any aches in your body? One of the Super Powers you can develop is to notice what you are feeling and how it changes the way you talk and act.

Find your safe place. A Safe Place is a place where you feel good and can be around people or things you like. Your Safe Place might be in your room, in your yard or at the playground with a friend. You may have lots of Safe Places.

14-illoExpress how you feel. Feelings are like play-dough – when you share them and put them in the hands of good people, amazing things can be created.  If you don’t share them, they get hard and crusty. Feelings are better when shared.

You can also DO things to help with the feelings. You can run, jump or play sports. You can dance and sing, build something with blocks or take your dog for a walk. These things let out energy and can help you feel better.

You can also play music, color, do an art project or write in a journal. You can talk with someone who loves you — someone like a parent, teacher, counselor, neighbor, grandparent, aunt, uncle, cousin, or your brother or sister. It helps you to talk about your feelings and it helps others understand how YOU feel.

And believe it or not, you can cry. Crying is your body’s way of letting your feelings out. If you feel like crying, cry. It will help you feel better!

Talk to the person who is sick. Sometimes you may want to talk to the person in your family who has FTD, even if they don’t comfort you or show love back. Tell them that you’re sorry they’re sick and that you know they can’t help it. Tell them you love them. Or just give them a hug.

Share your feelings with us. This website is for you and other kids like you who have someone with FTD in their family.To see what other kids have done to express their feelings, visit the Kids Like Me section. Being creative is one very good way to share your feelings. You can share your artwork or a story or poem you have written.

Help find a cure for FTD. There are things you can do, even as a kid, to fight back and help grownups find a way to get rid of FTD. Click here to see what other Super Heroes are doing.

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