Life Skills Education Toolkit

14 • MODULE SIX: COPING WITH EMOTIONS

Session Two: Feelings that Hurt

Objectives

By the end of the session the children will:

• Understand how negative feelings expressed by
  others or by oneself affect self esteem and
  behavior; and


• Understand some feelings hurt, but there are
  ways to express them safely.

Key Points

Feelings that hurt are part of our feeling “bad.” Such

feelings are normal, but one needs to learn to

express them in ways that do not harm but instead

lead to positive behavior. Denying such feelings does

not help. Keeping them bottled up also will affect a

person in ways that appear seemingly unconnected

and may create emotional and physical problems.

Some feelings like anger can motivate us to

constructive action. If identifying feelings was the

first step in session one, this session discusses safe

ways of expression. Many cultures feel that it is

important to “bottle up” emotions because their

expression is not socially acceptable, such as

indicating likes and dislikes or saying a blunt “no.”

The facilitator will have to be attentive to these

cultural nuances.

Life Skills Learned

Self awareness, critical thinking, coping with

emotions and stress.

Time Required

40-50 minutes for each activity.

Materials

Flip charts, markers, cello tape and drawing paper.

Activity One: two small buckets of different colors

and small stones.

Activity Two: balloons.