18 • MODULE SIX: COPING WITH EMOTIONS
Review- What sorts of balloons do you have, full ones ready to burst or soft ones?
- Can negative feelings go away if you want them to?
- How do you help yourself, how can others help you?
Linking Learning With Life
Tell the children to practice the meditation exercise they have learned and keep a note on
how they feel. Ask them to report back next time if it has helped them to manage their
feelings better.For Older Children:
Ask them to keep a diary for recording how they worked with their feelings: How many times did
the feeling “balloon” burst? What helped them to ‘deflate’ it? How did others help? What did the
children do for themselves? Were they able to help their friends?Experience from the field
Street and working boys shared that in order to protect themselves against law- enforcing agencies and
other bullies, they would show mock anger (the balloon would be half full). This would help them to be
in control of the situation. (PCI)
“We like blowing up the balloon because we realized that whatever we have inside we are putting in the
balloon.”
“When we share our feelings with others, we relax and our balloon gets smaller.”
“I realized that the thoughts that I have kept in my heart were disturbing me. I have a way to relieve my anger.”
“Now I will carry a balloon inside me.” (From children of sex workers, CCDT Mumbai)Tips for the facilitatorTips for the facilitatorTips for the facilitatorTips for the facilitatorTips for the facilitator
Each child can be given a balloon when the story is being told. The facilitator however must make sure
that the children take them seriously and not just play with the balloons.