We live in a world where difficult news is unavoidable. From natural disasters and violence to political unrest and community tragedies, children are often exposed to information that feels overwhelming, confusing, and frightening—sometimes before adults even realize it. While adults may have years of experience processing hard news, children are still developing the emotional and cognitive tools needed to make sense of what they see and hear.
The question isn’t whether children will encounter negative news—it’s how we can help them process it in healthy, empowering ways.
One powerful approach is The Imagine Project, a simple yet profound writing process that helps children acknowledge difficult experiences, release emotional weight, and imagine new, healthier narratives for themselves and their future.
Why Negative News Affects Kids So Deeply
Children often personalize negative news. A story about violence might make them feel unsafe. News about illness or death may spark fears about their own family. Even when events happen far away, kids may not yet have the ability to place them in context or regulate the emotions they stir up.
When these feelings go unexpressed, children may show signs of distress such as:
- Increased anxiety or fear
- Trouble sleeping or concentrating
- Withdrawal or irritability
- Acting out or emotional shutdown
What children need most in these moments is not more information—but a safe way to express what they’re feeling and make meaning of it.
How The Imagine Project Helps
The Imagine Project is a FREE 7-step, evidence-informed writing process that gently guides children through letting go of a difficult personal story and imagining a new one in its place. When used to process negative news, it gives kids permission to acknowledge their feelings without becoming overwhelmed by them.
Rather than asking children to relive trauma or analyze frightening events, The Imagine Project focuses on:
- Emotional expression
- Self-awareness
- Empowerment
- Hope and resilience
The process can be done privately through journaling or in a guided group setting, making it flexible for classrooms, counseling offices, or home use.
Step One: Creating Emotional Safety
Before children begin writing, adults create a sense of safety and choice. Kids are reminded that they can share as much or as little as they want. This is especially important when addressing negative news, as children may fear saying the “wrong” thing or upsetting adults.
Simply knowing they have control over their story helps children feel grounded.
Step Two: Naming the Story
Children are invited to write about a story that has been bothering them—this might be fear sparked by a news event, confusion about something they heard, or worry about what could happen next.
The focus is not on facts or details, but on how the story makes them feel. This allows kids to externalize emotions instead of carrying them internally.
For many children, this step alone is a relief. They realize they are not “bad” or “weak” for feeling scared or sad—they’re human.
Step Three: Letting Go
One of the most powerful aspects of The Imagine Project is the act of letting go. Through writing, children symbolically release the parts of the story that no longer serve them—fear, helplessness, guilt, or shame.
This does not mean pretending bad things don’t happen. Instead, it teaches children that while they can’t control the news, they can choose what they carry forward.
Step Four: Imagining a New Story
After letting go, children are invited to imagine a new story—one rooted in strength, safety, hope, or courage. This might include imagining themselves feeling calm, supported, brave, or connected to others.
This step is especially important when children feel powerless in the face of negative news. Imagining a new story helps restore a sense of agency and optimism.
Building Lifelong Coping Skills
When children repeatedly practice The Imagine Project, they develop essential life skills:
- Emotional literacy
- Self-regulation
- Perspective-taking
- Resilience during uncertainty
Instead of suppressing fear or absorbing distressing information without support, children learn how to process emotions in healthy, constructive ways.
A Message of Hope for Adults
Adults cannot shield children from every difficult headline—but we can equip them with tools to navigate an unpredictable world. The Imagine Project offers a compassionate, age-appropriate way to help children process negative news without becoming overwhelmed by it.
By giving kids space to write, reflect, and imagine, we help them move from fear to empowerment—and from confusion to clarity.
In doing so, we don’t just help them cope with today’s news. We help them build resilience for a lifetime.
A Powerful Tool for the Classroom
Teachers are uniquely positioned to help students process difficult or negative news, as schools are often where children first voice their fears, questions, or confusion. The Imagine Project offers educators a structured, developmentally appropriate way to address these moments without needing to be mental health experts. By integrating The Imagine Project into writing time, social-emotional learning, or morning meetings, teachers can give students a safe outlet to express emotions, release worry, and rebuild a sense of calm and control. Even brief, guided writing sessions can help students refocus, feel supported, and return to learning more regulated and present. In a world where unsettling news can easily disrupt a classroom, The Imagine Project empowers teachers to foster emotional resilience alongside academic growth.
Download the FREE journals now.
Thank you,
Dianne, Vicki, and The Imagine Project Team
