Emotions Archives - UPower Presentations - Sara Westbrook

Resilience Isn’t What You Think

Linda Westbrook — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 01:37:52 +0000

Resilience isn’t just about bouncing back from what happened. It’s about bouncing back from how it made your child feel. When kids face challenges – a friend is unkind, a game is lost, or a mistake is made – the hardest part to manage is often their emotional reaction, not the event itself. If a […]

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Emotions Impact Mental Health

Linda Westbrook — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 02:44:26 +0000

Talking about mental health is essential. It is impacted by the emotions we experience. We often don’t realize how much emotions impact mental health. Our experiences might look different, but we’ve all felt anger, sadness, worry, frustration, disappointment, and overwhelm. And still, when someone asks, “How are you doing?” many of us reply, “I’m fine.” […]

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‘It wasn’t me – it was them.’

Linda Westbrook — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 03:41:50 +0000

We’ve all heard those words. Taking responsibility isn’t always easy for kids. It can stir up uncomfortable emotions — shame, frustration, embarrassment, sadness, and sometimes even pride. It’s much easier for kids to point the finger somewhere else. Here’s the truth: When kids take responsibility, they also take back their power — the power to […]

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Eye rolls, yelling, arguing…sound familiar?

Linda Westbrook — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 20:51:09 +0000

Have you ever looked at your child in the middle of an emotional meltdown and thought, ‘This isn’t who you really are?’ We’ve all been there. Maybe they yelled at you in frustration, rolled their eyes and walked away. Maybe they started crying over something that seemed small to you but felt big to them, or argued […]

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Are We Truly Connecting with Kids About Mental Health?

Linda Westbrook — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 18:55:06 +0000

When we talk about kids’ mental health, we often focus on behaviours, challenges or strategies, but we rarely talk about one of the most important aspects—emotions. Emotions are at the heart of mental well-being, yet they’re often ignored, even though they impact our thoughts, health, mood and the choices we make. Kids often tell me […]

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Teaching Kids the Emotional Impact of Their Actions

Linda Westbrook — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 00:03:53 +0000

My son was getting ready for school, but not at the pace he needed to in order to catch the bus. I started noticing a pattern – every time I reminded him to do something, he responded with, ‘I’ll do it. Just give me a minute.’ The minutes kept passing and nothing was getting done. […]

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Rock the School Year: 3 Tips for a Child’s Success

Linda Westbrook — Wed, 28 Aug 2024 19:21:51 +0000

The beginning of the school year – a time when emotions can be heightened, from excitement to anxiety and all the feelings in between. I remember those feelings from my own childhood! Telling a child… ‘you can do this, you’re stronger than you think, you’ll get through this, just be yourself, focus on the fun […]

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Does Your Anger Instill Fear in Your Child?

Linda Westbrook — Thu, 27 Jun 2024 18:39:22 +0000

I am sharing this story with my mum’s permission: As a child, when my mom would raise her voice or yell, it would fill me with anxiety. I remember when I was 11 years old, I interrupted her while she was on the phone. She turned around, looked at me and took a step forward […]

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What is the Impact of Sharing Your Experiences?

Linda Westbrook — Wed, 29 May 2024 20:03:20 +0000

Opening up about our experiences can feel scary. I can empathize with that feeling. It took me a long time to share the challenges that I faced in my life, especially the ones I perceived as my imperfections. I was afraid people would judge me and think I wasn’t good enough. I worried about being […]

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Ditching the phrase ‘make a good choice’

Linda Westbrook — Thu, 16 May 2024 00:07:45 +0000

I avoid saying ‘make a good choice’ to my son. I’ve found that saying ‘good’ isn’t specific enough. Instead, I encourage him to make choices that align with his character. I emphasize specific character traits by saying, ‘make a respectful choice’, ‘make a determined choice’, ‘make a kind choice’, ‘make a responsible choice’ etc. Remember […]

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