When Nina's block tower falls, she feels a big, tight feeling. With her teacher's gentle help, she learns to notice her body, name the feeling, take slow breaths, and choose a helpful next step.
Nina was building the tallest, wobblest block tower ever. She carefully placed the last blue block on top. "It's a castle for my bunny!" she whispered proudly. She reached for her stuffed bunny to show it the new home. But her sleeve brushed the tower! CRASH! All the blocks tumbled down in a colorful heap.
Nina stared at the messy pile. A big, tight feeling filled her chest, like a giant balloon was inflating inside her. Her hands made fists. Her eyebrows scrunched together. She didn't know what to do with this huge feeling. It felt too big for her body.
Ms. Rivera saw Nina standing very still. She walked over and knelt down on the soft rug. "I saw your tower fall, Nina," she said in a gentle voice. "That can feel so surprising. Can you tell me what's happening in your body right now?"
Nina thought about Ms. Rivera's question. She put a hand on her chest. "It feels... tight here," she said. "And my hands are all squeezy." Ms. Rivera nodded. "Thank you for noticing. That's your body giving you a message. That tight, squeezy feeling has a name. It's called frustration."
"Frustration," Nina repeated softly. Naming it made the big feeling seem a little less scary. "Sometimes when frustration visits," said Ms. Rivera, "we can help our bodies feel calm again. Let's try something together. We'll be like sleepy dragons."
"First, breathe in slowly through your nose, like you're smelling a yummy flower," Ms. Rivera said. Nina sniffed the air. "Now, breathe out slowly through your mouth, like you're gently blowing on hot soup." Nina puffed her cheeks and blew a soft, slow breath. They did it three more times.
After the sleepy dragon breaths, Nina's chest didn't feel quite so tight. Her hands relaxed. "Good job," smiled Ms. Rivera. "Now, with a calmer body, you can choose one next step. You could ask a friend to help rebuild, build something new, or find a cozy book."
Nina looked at her blocks, then at her friend Leo playing with trains nearby. She had an idea. "Leo," she asked, "do you want to build a train station with me?" Leo's face lit up. "Yeah! Trains need a big station!" Together, they started building a wide, flat platform.
Nina and Leo built a fantastic train station. The frustration feeling was gone. Nina felt proud. She knew a big feeling could visit, and she knew what to do: notice her body, name it, take sleepy dragon breaths, and choose one helpful step. She gave her bunny a hug, right in the new train station.