S5 E2 Big Problems vs Small Problems – Learning how to prioritize

Not all problems are the same—and in this episode of Mindful Moments with Miss Harrison, children learn how to tell the difference between big problems and small problems, and more importantly, when to ask for help.

Through the story of Noah’s Day at School, self-reflection questions, and real-life examples, kids will learn:
✔️ How to ask, “Can I solve this on my own?” and “Do I feel safe?” 🙋‍♂️
✔️ What makes a problem small and manageable 🧩
✔️ What makes a problem big and important to share with an adult 🚨
✔️ That asking for help is a brave and smart choice when things feel too big 💪

📖 Storytime: Noah forgets his pencil case—then faces something much tougher. Kids will follow along as he learns when to solve a problem himself and when to ask a trusted adult for support. 🎒🍽️

✨ Challenge: This week, when you have a problem, pause and ask:
Is this a big problem or a small one? Do I need help or can I try solving it myself first?

🎯 Perfect for Kids, Parents & Educators!
This episode teaches children emotional awareness, personal responsibility, and how to seek help when needed, empowering them to become confident and thoughtful problem solvers.

🔔 Subscribe now to Mindful Moments with Miss Harrison and help kids develop the confidence to handle small challenges—and the wisdom to reach out when problems feel too big! 🌟

#MindfulMoments #BigAndSmallProblems #ProblemSolvingSkills #MindfulnessForKids #EmotionalIntelligence #AskForHelp #KidsMentalHealth #ParentingTips #ConfidenceBuilding #SocialEmotionalLearning

Transcript

Hello everyone and welcome back to Mindful Moments with Miss Harrison. I'm Miss Harrison and I'm so happy you're here for another episode in our Emotional Problem Solving series. Last time we learned about understanding problems, how to notice our emotions and think before we react. Did you try your Mindful Moment challenge this week? I hope you took a moment to pause, name your feelings and decide what to do next. Today we're going to explore big problems and small problems.

We're going to learn how to tell the difference and how to know when you need to ask for help. By the end of this episode you'll know how to decide whether a problem is something small you can handle or something bigger that you might need a little bit of support with. Let's get started. Not all problems are the same. Some are small problems, things that might feel frustrating or annoying but can be solved easily. Or others are big problems, things that feel overwhelming, scary or hard to fix on our own. A good way to tell the difference is by asking yourself, can I solve this on my own? Will this problem still matter tomorrow? And do I feel safe? If the answer is yes to the first two, it's probably a small problem that you can handle. If the answer is no, or you feel unsafe, it's a big problem, and you should ask for help. So let's hear a story how one boy learned to tell the difference. Our story today is about a boy named Noah who had to figure out if his problems were big or small. One day at school Noah had two problems. First he forgot his pencil case at home. He felt annoyed and didn't know what to do but then he asked his friend if he could borrow a pencil. And just like that, his problem was solved.

But later that day, something bigger happened. A group of kids were being unkind to him during lunch. Noah's stomach felt tight and he didn't know what to do. He thought about trying to solve it himself, but the problem felt too big. Noah remembered that when a problem makes you feel really upset or unsafe you should ask for help. So Noah talked to his teacher and together they found a way to make things better. What do you think Noah learned about big and small problems? Now that we know the difference between big and small problems, take a deep breath, think of a simple solution, try to fix it on your own and then if it doesn't work, ask a friend or a grown-up for advice. However, for big problems, if you feel unsafe, scared or very upset, please don't try to handle it alone. Find a trusted adult like a teacher or a parent and tell them what's wrong. Remember, asking for help is always okay when something feels too big to handle. Let's try practising with some examples. I'm going to say a problem and I want you to think, is it a big problem or a small problem? Next, someone is calling you mean names every single day. Next, your shoelace came undone. You're feeling very sad and you don't know why. And finally, your friend didn't want to sit next to you today.

Great job. If it's a small problem, we can take a deep breath and try to solve it ourselves. If it's a big problem, we should find someone we trust and ask them for help. You've done a great job today learning about big and small problems. Remember, small problems are ones we can usually solve on our own, but big problems need help from a trusted adult. Here's your mindful moment challenge. This week if

you face a problem, take a moment to ask yourself, is this a big problem or a small problem? Then choose the best way to handle it. Next time on mindful moments with Miss Harrison, we'll talk about how to stay calm when problems feel big, learning ways to manage big emotions when things don't go as planned. I can't wait to see you there.

Thank you for joining me today. Keep solving, keep asking for help when you need it, and as always, keep shining. you