Hello and welcome.
I'm so glad you're here.
Let's find a comfy spot to sit or lie down,
Maybe on the couch,
Under a blanket,
Or sitting cross-legged on the floor with a pillow or something cozy near us.
Take a moment to notice your grown-up nearby.
You can hold their hand,
Lean against them,
Ask them to put their arm around you,
Or just feel them sitting close.
You're not alone.
We're doing this together because sometimes kids and grown-ups feel worried or scared.
You might feel nervous about something at school,
About friends,
Or about your food allergies.
That's okay.
Lots of kids and lots of adults feel that way sometimes.
In my house,
We have food allergies too,
So I really understand what your worries can feel like,
And today I'm going to teach you one of my favorite tricks,
Something special that can help your body and your mind feel calm and safe whenever you need it.
I want you to imagine something magical,
Your bubble of safety.
It's going to help you feel calm,
Brave,
And protected.
Let's picture what your bubble looks like.
On the outside,
Your bubble is going to be invisible,
But on the inside,
You can make it look like whatever you want.
Let's picture it.
Maybe it's sparkly blue or golden and shimmery like sunlight or filled with rainbow swirls.
It might have stars all over it,
Or it might look like fluffy white clouds floating across a blue sky.
Your grown-up,
If you let them,
Can be inside of your bubble too.
Your bubble starts as a tiny shimmer of light.
Let's keep making our bubble big enough for you to fit inside.
Again,
Take a deep breath in through your nose and breathe out slowly through your mouth.
Each time you breathe out,
Imagine that soft,
Beautiful,
Glowing bubble beginning to form around you.
Breathe in again.
Breathe out and watch your bubble grow,
Glowing brighter and bigger until it surrounds your whole body and your grown-up,
If they're going to be inside of your bubble with you.
One more time,
Breathe in and breathe out.
Now look at your bubble all around you.
Maybe it sparkles,
Maybe it hums quietly.
It's just yours.
Inside your bubble,
You feel calm and safe,
But sometimes little worries float in,
And that's okay.
Worries often start with two little words.
What if?
What if someone forgets about my allergy?
What if there's a food at the party that isn't safe for me?
What if I have a reaction?
The what if worries start in your brain.
We're going to place our palms on our foreheads and see if we can find any worries in there.
If our brain is telling us what if,
What if something scary happens,
That's our brain trying to protect us,
But sometimes it actually makes us scared instead.
So let's take those what ifs out of our brain,
Keep your hand on your forehead,
And as you pull your hand away,
Picture the what if worried thought coming out of your head and into your hand.
The worry thoughts are like small little wisps of fog that drift out of your head and into your bubble.
They make it cloudy so that you can't see your beautiful,
Shining,
Safe bubble.
We're going to take them out of our head and gently blow them back out of our bubbles with our breath.
Breathe in again.
Picture the worry fog on your hand and gently blow them back out of your bubble with your breath.
It might take a couple of breaths before you can picture that fog floating away and leaving your bubble,
And that's okay.
Sometimes worries take a little while to drift away from us.
But we keep gently blowing them away,
Telling them thank you for trying to protect me,
But I don't need you.
I'm safe.
You can leave now.
Once they leave your bubble,
Watch them drift away into the sky,
Getting smaller and smaller until they're gone.
Each time you breathe in,
Your safety bubble grows stronger.
And each time you breathe out a worry,
You make more room for calm,
Courage,
And peace inside.
Your home is a great place to practice using your bubble.
You can imagine it when you're helping your grown-up make safe food,
Or when you're washing your hands before you eat,
Or after you've been playing outside.
Maybe you picture your bubble sitting at the table with you,
Glowing softly around you while you eat.
Your grown-up is going to help you with your your bubble is around you,
And you can say together,
My bubble keeps me safe.
And if you ever feel unsure or scared,
You can take your big breaths,
Blow the bubble back up,
And it will glow brighter and stronger again.
Now imagine you're getting ready to go somewhere,
Maybe to school or to play somewhere.
Before you go,
You and your grown-up will blow your bubble.
You'll check that you have everything you need,
Your epinephrine,
Any other medicines you might need like your inhaler,
Your safe snacks or lunch,
And the adult who will be with you who knows about your allergy and will be able to help you.
Each of those steps helps your bubble form.
Glowing around you,
Keeping you calm and prepared,
Your bubble travels with you even if nobody else can see it.
Wherever you are,
If you start to feel nervous,
You can take a slow deep breath and remind yourself to blow your bubble.
You have your plan,
You're safe,
And you're ready.
Even when you're apart,
Your grown-up is still in your bubble with you because they've helped you create it with love and care.
Let's take one last deep breath together and see your bubble shining all around you,
Calm,
Cozy,
And full of love.
The people who love you and help keep you safe are always in your bubble with you even when you aren't together.
When you're away at school somewhere new,
All you have to do is imagine your bubble and take a few calm breaths.
Your grown-up will be right there with you in the bubble along with all the things you've prepared together to help to keep you safe and your bubble will stay with you until you're back home again.
The more you practice your bubble at home,
The easier it is to take it with you and to blow your bubble back up when you're not at home and you need it.
It might help to draw a picture of you inside your bubble with your grown-up so you can show them what it looks like and hang it up beside your bed or maybe on your refrigerator to remind you to practice and to help you continue to picture your bubble all around you,
Keeping you safe.
