Coping Skills for Kids: Jealousy and Positive Self-Talk
This session teaches coping skills for kids, helping students handle jealousy with positive self-talk when a classmate gets something they wanted. Through a short video, a discussion about congratulating a friend who shared good news, and a quick game where they finish open-ended sentences in their own way, students practice noticing the feeling and choosing a helpful response. The takeaway: everyone is good at different things.
Extension activity
- Skill
- Emotional Recognition
- Goal
- Changing the Channel on Feelings
- Grade level
- Elementary School
Get everything you need to teach the skill
These materials are part of a no-prep session designed by our clinical team, with all the structure, scaffolding, and support you need to teach included.
Engaging materials
Video modeling lessonFeeling Jealous 2
When Tim's painting didn't make the art show, he yells at his friends because he's mad that their paintings made it. Tim is feeling jealous. When he tries again, he realizes that he shouldn't take it out on his friends and that everyone is good at different things. He congratulates them on doing a great job!
- Extension activity
Feeling Jealous Practice
In this activity, students explore scenarios where they might feel jealous and practice responding to those feelings with kindness. The final reflection encourages them to apply these strategies to their own experiences.
Plus everything you need to teach them
Warm-up
- Video: Hot Cocoa Breathing2:05
- Video: Daily Intention2:59
- Video: Body Squeeze2:12
Session Opener
Guiding Question: What does feeling jealous mean?
Practice
- Discussion Question
- Role-Play Activity
- Mini Game
How to use it with your students
- 1Watch Play the video modeling lesson so students see the skill in action.
- 2Practice Try the skill together with a discussion prompt, role-play, or mini game.
- 3Extend Use the extension activity to help students carry the skill further.
What's Covered
In this lesson, students learned that feeling jealous can bring up sadness and anger, and that they can still choose kind words and actions. They practiced noticing the jealous feeling and using positive self-talk to think about what they are good at and what they do have.
Key Terms
- Jealousy
- The sad, angry feeling you get when you want something someone else has. You can notice it and use positive self-talk so you stay kind instead of taking it out on others.
- Positive Self-Talk
- Positive self-talk means using kind words in your head when something feels upsetting or hard. You might say phrases like “I can do this,” or “I’m okay” to help your body feel calmer and think more clearly.
Sample IEP Goal This Session Supports
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Changing the Channel on Feelings
When experiencing strong emotions such as jealousy, disappointment, frustration, or embarrassment, learner will use a self-selected coping strategy (e.g., taking a break, positive self-talk, deep breaths) to manage the feeling and return to the task or interaction in 4 out of 5 opportunities independently/given X prompt(s).
Send this tip home to support generalization
When your student seems to be struggling with a big feeling like jealousy, try reflecting together on something they feel proud of. Connecting to their own strengths can help the feeling feel more manageable.
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Frequently asked questions
Is this intervention free?
Yes, this ready-to-teach session on Jealousy and Positive Self-Talk is free. You can access this intervention free for 14 days through the Everyday Speech Session Library. Every user gets three free sessions, but you can get more or extend your access by sharing the Session Library with friends and colleagues.
What ages is this for?
These materials are designed for elementary school students.
What's included?
You'll get access to your choice of warm-up videos, a session opener, a core material on Feeling Jealous 2, three practice prompts, and an extension activity, Feeling Jealous Practice.
What skill does this intervention teach?
This ready-to-teach session is on emotional recognition - more specifically, changing the channel on feelings.
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