Helping Children (and Ourselves) Navigate Big Feelings

Whether you’re a parent, carer or educator, learning to recognise and respond to anxiety is just as important as helping children do the same. At Integricare, we believe early education is about more than learning numbers or letters — it’s about nurturing the emotional, social, and spiritual development of every child in our care.

Through play, prayer, and genuine connection, our team supports children as they build confidence, learn empathy, and discover calming strategies that support lifelong resilience. It’s a philosophy we carry into every classroom at our Christian early learning centres in Sydney — and one that often begins with honest conversations, like the one shared in this week’s devotional from Vetti.

An Honest Look at Anxiety

It’s always good to be a learner, especially if it involves some insight about yourself. What I’ve discovered about myself is that I’m quite an anxious person. I don’t think I used to be, but life and experience has changed me. But I certainly get anxious now. Especially when heading into potential conflict with known difficult relationships.

I worry so much before a meeting, always thinking ‘worst case scenario’—that not only is my joy being stolen while no one is around, but when the event happens, I’m not really enjoying it.

I don’t want to be like this, and apparently that’s a key indicator for success!

Wanting to change! Great, I’m now on the right track.

Spiritual Support and Practical Steps

But I need help. My friends are always good for providing me with the halftime coach pep talk/rant when a team’s losing 50–0. That helps me emotionally, but I need spiritual help too—prayer and lots of it! Coincidentally, our church had a prayer for anxiety, and so I had some beautiful women of God praying over me this week.

I do feel lighter and stronger now. I’ll let you know how I get on!

But in the meantime, I will try to look outward and help others who are also suffering, whether it be anxiety or something else. If what I am going through can help someone else, then my suffering is now redeemed, and it becomes hope and help for others.

What Can I Do to Help Others?

• Listen
• Don’t be judgy
• Give some words of affirmation
• Remember them and follow up
• Pray
• Give practical support or a gift if appropriate

This can go a long way to supporting those who are hurting. Maybe it will instil confidence in themselves to be able to get back up and try again.

There’s a meme going around that says, “Sometimes you are having a bad day, forget it. Go back home and sleep. Try again tomorrow.” I like that.

Question: Is there someone in your world that you can give some courage to?

“The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
— Philippians 4:6

Blessings, Vetti x

Helping Children Build Resilience Through Faith and Care

At Integricare, we approach emotional wellbeing through a Christ-centred lens, supporting children in discovering safe ways to express big feelings. Whether it’s through group prayer, quiet story time, or a comforting conversation with an Educator, children are given space to feel seen and supported.

Explore how we nurture emotional growth at our Preschool in Rockdale, Early Learning Centre in Northbridge, or Childcare centre in Parramatta, where every child is valued and uplifted.

Looking for Christian Childcare Centres, Preschools or Early Learning in Sydney?

We offer faith-based early learning programs for children from six weeks to school age, with long day care and preschool services available at our:

Childcare centre in Ashfield
Early learning centre in Auburn
Preschool in Blacktown
Preschool in Brighton Le Sands
Childcare centre in North Strathfield
Preschool in Northmead
Early learning centre in Northbridge
Childcare centre in Parramatta
Preschool in Pendle Hill
Childcare centre in Rockdale Plaza
Preschool in Rockdale
Early learning centre in St Ives
Preschool in Strathfield
Childcare centre in Turrella

Give your child a meaningful start at an Integricare preschool, early learning centre or child care centre near you.

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34

There’s a saying, “Worry is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but won’t get you anywhere.”

Sometimes we can be so burdened with anxious thoughts it can steal our day of joy. Not only this, but often, the ‘worst case scenario’ we think of, just never happens!

The worry’s that are spinning around in my head are like a wild horse on the loose! So, these last couple of weeks I’ve been proactive about taming those little brumbies. When I find myself thinking thoughts that are negative and destructive, I literally put a reign on them.

I grab that lasso and bring back my thoughts to what is good, right, and noble. Sometimes I reign them in by planning for a holiday, but other times it’s thinking about other people, and how they are going:

• Is Mary’s health ok? How is she going after her Chemo treatment?
• Did Freddy get that job after his interview?
• How’s Martha going on her trip to Fiji?
• Is little Annie still unsettled after starting in our centre this week? What can I do to help?

Also if I’m in the car for any length of time I like to put on podcasts or an audio book to train my mind to focus, rather than let my thoughts run through my head stomping on all my joy.

There is a scripture verse that says, “The joy of the Lord is our strength” this is so true, have you ever been in the presence of a joyful person? How did that make you feel?

I always feel uplifted when in a joyful person’s presence, let’s go out and try to share some joy for our friends today.

Question: What do you think about when your mind is left to its own devices?

Be blessed. Yvette Wynne