How a Worry Monster works at bedtime
Some children say their worries out loud. Many do not. A Worry Monster gives the quiet ones somewhere to put them.
Write it or draw it
Keep a small pad and a pencil near the bed. When something is bothering your child, ask them to write it or draw it. Spelling does not matter. Getting it out of their head and onto paper is the point.
Feed the monster
The note goes into the zip mouth and the zip is closed. For a child, that is the worry handed over. The monster has it now, and monsters like ours are always hungry.
Read it later
After bedtime, a grown-up can open the zip and read what went in. Some notes need nothing more. Others are the start of a conversation at breakfast.
Make it routine
It works best as a habit. The monster lives on the bed, the pad lives on the nightstand, and the mouth gets checked every night.
