Coping Skills for Kids
Kids aren't born knowing how to handle stress, frustration, disappointment, distraction, or other difficult emotions. Like reading or riding a bike, coping skills become stronger with practice.
Whether you're a parent, teacher, school counselor, therapist, or another adult who works with children, helping kids practice these skills early can give them tools they'll use throughout their lives.
Why This Matters
Screens are part of growing up today. Kids are getting phones and tablets at younger ages, and many are learning that when they feel bored, stressed, frustrated, or uncomfortable, the next step is to reach for a screen.
What if kids developed the "grab-and-stare" habit with Focus Frame before they developed it with a screen?
Every time they reached for the frame, they'd be practicing skills like slowing down, paying attention, tolerating uncomfortable feelings, solving problems, and managing their emotions. Over time, our hope is that grabbing the frame becomes another familiar response instead of automatically reaching for a screen.
Screens aren't the enemy, and the goal isn't to avoid them. We simply want to help kids develop another healthy response they can use throughout their lives.
What Are Coping Skills?
Coping skills are the tools we use when life feels difficult. Some help us calm our bodies. Others help us focus our attention, solve problems, communicate, or work through uncomfortable emotions. These skills are closely connected to emotional regulation, which simply means learning how to respond to emotions instead of being controlled by them. Like any other skill, coping skills improve with practice.
Slow Down
Practice slowing the body and mind.
- Deep breathing
- Balloon breathing
- Progressive muscle relaxation
- Watching the glitter settle
Handle Big Feelings
Practice emotional regulation and distress tolerance. Distress tolerance means learning to get through uncomfortable feelings without immediately trying to escape them.
- Name the feeling
- Count to ten
- Pause before reacting
- Stay with the feeling for one minute
Focus Attention
Practice bringing attention back to the present.
- I Spy
- Find five colors
- Listen for three sounds
- Focus on one task
Solve Problems
Practice responding instead of reacting.
- Ask for help
- Think of two possible solutions
- Break a problem into smaller steps
- Decide what to do next
Why Practice Works
Kids don't usually learn a new skill in the middle of a meltdown. They learn it through repetition. Practicing these skills during everyday moments makes them easier to use when they really need them. That's why Focus Frame is designed around a simple routine that takes about sixty seconds.
Slow Down
Practice slowing the body and mind.
- Deep breathing
- Balloon breathing
- Progressive muscle relaxation
- Watching the glitter settle
Focus Attention
Practice bringing attention back to the present.
- I Spy
- Find five colors
- Listen for three sounds
- Focus on one task
Handle Big Feelings
Practice emotional regulation and distress tolerance. Learning to get through uncomfortable feelings without immediately trying to escape them.
- Name the feeling
- Count to ten
- Pause before reacting
- Stay with the feeling for one minute
Solve Problems
Practice responding instead of reacting.
- Ask for help
- Think of two possible solutions
- Break a problem into smaller steps
- Decide what to do next
Why Practice Works
Kids don't usually learn a new skill in the middle of a meltdown. They learn it through repetition. Practicing these skills during everyday moments makes them easier to use when they really need them. That's why Focus Frame is designed around a simple routine that takes about sixty seconds.
At Home
- Practice at a consistent time each day (like before breakfast or after school)
- Use it together before a difficult conversation or at bedtime
- Keep the frame in a central spot where your child will regularly see it
In the Classroom
- Use it as a transition tool after recess, lunch, or a noisy activity
- Place it in a 'Calm Down Corner' for students who need a brief reset
- Use it for a whole-class minute of silence before starting a new lesson
Counseling Settings
- Use it at the beginning of a session to help a child arrive and focus
- Teach specific emotional regulation skills through the card prompts
- Include it as a regulation tool kids can practice between appointments
Tips for Adults
- Model the behavior: use the frame yourself when you feel overwhelmed
- Focus on one skill at a time rather than trying too many at once
- Praise the repetition and practice, not just the 'success' of being calm
Tips for Adults
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Practice when they’re calm. Coping skills are hard to learn in a crisis. Teach them during calm moments so they become automatic.
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Model the behavior. Let kids see you using your own coping skills when you feel frustrated or overwhelmed.
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Keep it simple. Focus on one skill at a time. Repetition is more important than having dozens of different options.
Focus Frame is an educational wellness tool designed to help children practice healthy coping skills. It is not therapy, medical treatment, or a substitute for care provided by a qualified healthcare professional.