Story by Amina Shaibu
One sunny morning in Rainbow Kindergarten, all the children were playing with blocks and toys.
Mimi was building a tall tower. Her friend Tayo was coloring a picture.
Suddenly, Tayo stopped coloring. His face looked worried.
He held his chest and said, “I… I can’t breathe very well… my heart is beating fast!”
Mimi looked at him with big caring eyes.
She remembered what Teacher Ada once told the class:
“Sometimes, friends can feel very scared even when nothing dangerous is around. That is called a panic attack. We can help by being calm and kind.”
Mimi gently touched Tayo’s hand and said softly,
“Don’t worry, Tayo. I’m here with you. Let’s breathe together.”
She sat down on the mat with him and said,
“Let’s blow balloons!” 🎈
She puffed up her cheeks and took a slow breath in… then blew out slowly, pretending to blow up a big red balloon.
Tayo copied her—in and out… in and out.
“Good job!” Mimi clapped.
“Let’s do three balloon breaths.”
After a little while, Tayo’s heart slowed down. He felt calmer.
Mimi smiled and gave him a hug. “See? You’re safe. I’m your friend.”
Tayo smiled too. “Thank you, Mimi. You helped me feel better.”
The other children joined in, and soon they were all blowing pretend balloons together, giggling and feeling happy again.
🌟 Lesson for Kids
- Sometimes a friend may look very scared or say, “I can’t breathe!” even if nothing scary is happening.
- We can help by:
- Staying calm.
- Speaking gently.
- Breathing slowly together (like blowing balloons or blowing bubbles).
- Reminding them they are safe.