Sophie feels nervous about a new class activity, but with her teacher's gentle help, she learns to take slow breaths, ask questions, and try one small step at a time.
Sophie held her teacher's hand a little tighter. Her class was about to start something brand new. Ms. Rivera had just told them they were going to build a big castle out of giant cardboard boxes! Sophie's tummy felt fluttery, like butterflies were having a party inside. She looked at the huge, blank boxes stacked in the corner and wondered, 'What if I don't know what to do?'
Ms. Rivera knelt down next to Sophie. 'I see you thinking very hard,' she said softly. 'Sometimes new things can make our feelings feel big and wobbly. That's okay. It just means we care.' Sophie nodded, her eyes wide. 'My feelings feel very big,' she whispered. 'Like a giant, wobbly jellyfish.' Ms. Rivera smiled. 'Let's make them a little smaller together. First, let's be detectives with our breath.'
'Watch my hand,' Ms. Rivera said, holding her palm up. 'We breathe in slowly, like we're smelling a beautiful flower.' Sophie sniffed the air. 'Then we breathe out slowly, like we're blowing on a dandelion to make a wish.' Sophie puffed her cheeks and blew gently. She did it again. Her shoulders, which had been up by her ears, relaxed just a little. The wobbly jellyfish feeling shrank to the size of a kitten.
'Good detective work!' said Ms. Rivera. 'Now, when we're not sure about something, what do good detectives do?' Sophie thought. 'They ask questions?' 'Exactly!' said Ms. Rivera. Sophie took a small step toward the boxes. 'Ms. Rivera,' she asked quietly, 'what is the very first thing we do?' 'A wonderful question!' her teacher replied. 'The first thing is to choose one box and decide which part of the castle it could be.'
Sophie looked at the boxes. One was tall and skinny. 'That could be a tower,' she thought. She walked over and touched it. It felt cool and bumpy. Her classmates, Leo and Maya, were already drawing windows on another box with big markers. 'Hi, Sophie!' said Leo. 'We're making the drawbridge. Want to help us color it brown?' Sophie looked at Ms. Rivera, who gave her an encouraging nod.
Sophie picked up a brown marker. Her hand shook just a tiny bit. 'One small step,' she whispered to herself. She drew one straight line on the box. Then another. Soon, she was making big, brown wooden planks for the drawbridge. 'That looks so strong!' said Maya. Sophie smiled. The kitten-sized worry was now as small as a ladybug, sitting quietly on her shoulder.
Before Sophie knew it, she was helping Leo find the perfect round box for a turret roof. She held the tape while Maya cut it. She even suggested they make a flag for the top! She wasn't holding Ms. Rivera's hand anymore, but she would look over sometimes. Her teacher would give her a thumbs-up, and Sophie's heart would feel warm and bright.
The class stood back to look at their creation. It was a magnificent, colorful castle with towers, a drawbridge, and even a sparkly flag! 'We did it!' everyone cheered. Sophie felt a happy buzz all over. She had felt the big, wobbly worry, but she had breathed, asked, and taken one small step. And those small steps had built something wonderful.
At the end of the day, Sophie gave Ms. Rivera a picture she had drawn. It showed a little girl and a big, friendly jellyfish that was getting smaller and smaller. 'Thank you for helping my worry get smaller,' Sophie said. Ms. Rivera hugged her. 'Thank you for being so brave,' she replied. Sophie walked out, holding her drawing proudly. She knew that next time she felt a wobbly feeling, she had her own brave plan.
