Early Warning Signs
What are Early Warning Signs?
Early Warning Signs are our body's way of communicating to us that we might not be feeling completely safe.
Emotional feelings have corresponding physical changes, and we can identify these by observing what is going on in our bodies. Your child may experience a number of physical reactions when they are feeling unsafe.
Early Warning Signs can include butterflies in the stomach, sweaty palms, increased heart rate or wobbly legs, but everyone’s Early Warning Signs will be unique to them.
Activity Time!
Identifying My Early Warning Signs
Use the My Early Warning Signs sheet
to help your child identify the physical changes they
experience when they feel scared or unsafe. Discuss past situations when your child has
noticed their Early Warning Signs and how they responded.
If your child is unsure what their Early Warning Signs are you can do an experiment with them: burst a balloon, pop popcorn, swing high on a swing etc. to see what physical response they notice.
You can see a completed example below.