That fish in my stomach - Maria Dadoosh

That fish in my stomach spins and spins; it causes my head to hurt, my hands to sweat, my heartbeat to speed up, and the world to spin around me... I wonder how this fish reached me? And how did it get into my stomach? The doctor says: It's okay to feel anxious sometimes, but... we should ignore it if it stands in our way. Parents and teachers' guide The little child in this story feels anxious about a fish spinning in his stomach. Over time, this fish becomes two fish, or three or four! He tries his best to get rid of them, but they become bigger and more, and he ends up failing. The little child asks for help, so he asks his father, his grandmother, and his friend Radwan, but none of them give him a suitable solution for the spinning fish. He goes to his mother, who listens to his problem carefully and takes him to the doctor. The story highlights the feelings of anxiety in children and how it affects their behavior and daily life, making them drown in self-criticism and negative feelings, and suggests solutions to this problem to gradually help the child let go of his anxiety so he can interact with his surroundings and become happier and more helpful to others. For discussion: 1- Have you ever felt something spinning in your stomach? 2- Describe how you felt? And why did you feel that? 3- If you were the little child in the story, what would you do? 4- If you ever feel anxious or tense, would you ask for help? 5- Do you prefer talking about your problems or drawing them? 6- What makes you anxious? 7- In your opinion, what are the things that would make your anxiety go away? 8- Do you have other solutions to help the child in the story? 9- Do you think the doctor helped the little child find a solution to his problem? 10- How do you feel when you help others?