Introduction
In life, everyone has to do things they don’t want to do. Everything can’t be the way we want it all the time. We all have responsibilities, whether it’s adults going to work or students attending school. Teaching PreK students about coping with frustration and handling responsibilities is an essential aspect of their social-emotional development. In this blog post, we will explore an activity, discussion questions, and related skills to help educators teach these concepts.
No-Prep Activity: The “I Can Do It” Challenge
This activity requires no preparation or materials from the educator. To begin, gather your students in a circle. Explain that you will be giving them a simple task to complete, but they must pretend that they don’t want to do it. Their challenge is to change their mindset and attitude to say, “I can do it.”
For example, you can ask the students to clap their hands three times. Initially, they should pretend to be frustrated and say they don’t want to do it. Encourage them to take a deep breath, think about the importance of following instructions, and then complete the task while saying, “I can do it.”
Repeat this activity with different tasks, such as jumping in place, touching their toes, or singing a short song. This activity will help students practice changing their mindset and overcoming frustration when faced with responsibilities.
Discussion Questions
- How did you feel when you pretended to be frustrated about doing the task? How did you feel after you changed your mindset and completed it?
- Why is it important to do things we don’t want to do sometimes? What are some examples of responsibilities we have at school and at home?
- What are some strategies we can use to help us feel better when we are frustrated or don’t want to do something?
- How can we support our friends when they are feeling frustrated or don’t want to do something?
- What are some positive things that can come from completing tasks and responsibilities, even when we don’t want to do them?
Related Skills
Teaching PreK students about handling responsibilities and coping with frustration is closely related to other essential social-emotional skills, including:
- Empathy: Understanding and sharing the feelings of others when they are frustrated or facing challenges.
- Problem-solving: Identifying and finding solutions to problems, such as breaking down tasks into smaller steps or asking for help when needed.
- Self-regulation: Managing emotions and behaviors in a healthy and appropriate way.
- Resilience: Bouncing back from setbacks and learning to adapt to new situations.
Next Steps
Now that you have explored the importance of teaching PreK students about handling responsibilities and coping with frustration, consider incorporating these concepts into your curriculum. To help you get started, we encourage you to sign up for free samples of these skills and others at Everyday Speech. These resources will provide you with valuable tools and materials to support your students’ social-emotional learning journey.
