MONSTER MUNCH

Children in care can experience trauma from their adverse experiences. We talk to a nurse about how a small toy with a big appetite is making a huge difference.

In St Helens, a monster like creature with a zip for a mouth enjoys nothing more than gobbling up children’s worries. The Children in Care team provides children they support with their own worry monster, to keep and take with them wherever they go.

Kay McEneny, children’s named nurse in St Helens, explains: “Children who come into care are often emotionally traumatised. They can feel lost and confused so we are always finding new ways to help them share their worries and feel loved.

“We need only think how nervous we are when we face something new or unexpected, to imagine how a child feels moving to a new home or school, or if they go to an adoptive home, getting to know a new ‘mummy and daddy’.

“The monsters can stimulate and help children explore these emotions. They’re not a perfect teddy bear, they are quite colourful and wacky – they make children smile.

“Sometimes a child will draw pictures or write their feelings down and store them inside the bear. Doing this can lead to them sharing worries with their carer or social worker, though if they don’t want to share, that’s also fine. Others might have a keepsake from their family home and the bear will look after it for them.”

It’s not just children who benefit from the comfort of a worry monster, says Kay.

“They have been used successfully with adults experiencing mental health issues and are particularly popular with people with dementia. If we visit a home where a parent has mental health challenges, it might be right for them to have one too.”

Read Ann's story below.

Kay McEneny, Children’s Named Nurse

THEY TELL THE MONSTER THEIR WORRIES

A grandmother says her grandchildren could not have survived traumatic experiences without their worry monsters.

Ann and her husband look after their three grandchildren after family upheaval.

“We honestly couldn’t go through what we’re going through without the worry monsters”, says Ann. “The children love them and they go everywhere with them.”

Five years on the trauma of their experience is still raw for the children and the worry monsters feature heavily in their play therapy sessions.

“They tell the monsters their worries, sometimes write things down and then zip up the mouth. They might share their worries, which are mostly about the past, with their play therapy teacher or their nurse,” says Ann.

Initially given to the two youngest children only, the benefit of the worry monster soon became apparent. “The younger two were given theirs and then the eldest asked where his was – he was quite upset he hadn’t got one,” said Ann. “So their nurse got him one and he hasn’t let it out of his sight. He carries it around with him all the time and even takes it to school. He goes to senior school soon but he’s not at all bothered.”

Children’s nurse Kay McEneny wishes for every school to embrace the idea. “My hope is that it will be acceptable to everyone that it’s okay not to be okay. If you need your worry monster that’s okay.”