Write it down; remember it later.

When things feel too big for a small body and a young heart, words can be steady little anchors. As your parent, I want you to know there are simple sentences you can carry in your pocket or tape to the mirror that help calm a storm inside. Writing them down makes them easier to find when your brain feels scrambled — you can read them out loud, whisper them, or let them sit where you’ll see them and feel safer. The act of writing helps your feelings move from a jumble in your head into something you can hold and look at, and looking at those words later can remind you of what worked before and what helps you now.

Below are short, strong phrases you can keep and use anytime. Pick the ones that feel like a hug, and add your own.

• I am safe. This feeling will pass. You are not alone. It’s okay to ask for help. One small step is still progress. I can try again. I did my best today. Breathe — in and out. I am allowed to feel this. Mistakes help me learn. I am loved. I believe in you. Your feelings are real, but they don’t control you.

Once you’ve written a few favorites, try a few ways to use them: fold a tiny note and keep it in your pocket for school days, stick a sentence on the bathroom mirror so you see it while brushing your teeth, put one page in a “worry box” to look at when you feel nervous, or make a bedtime ritual where you read a phrase and take three deep breaths. You can even make a list together: parents, teachers, or friends who are okay to call when things are heavy. Writing helps you notice patterns — which words help on angry days, which words soothe sadness — and remembering those words later becomes easier when they’ve been written and used before.

If you want, you and I can build a small book of phrases together. You can decorate it and add drawings or stickers — make it yours. When you use a phrase, try to notice what happens in your body: does your heart slow? Does your shoulders drop? Noticing these small changes teaches you that words can change feelings. Sometimes a phrase won’t fix everything, and that’s okay; it’s one tool among many. Keep the ones that feel right and let the others go.

I’m not a doctor or therapist, but I’ve seen how a few kind words, written and remembered, can make scary things less overwhelming. Keep writing, keep picking the phrases that remind you of your strength, and remember you can add new words as you grow. You are learning how to care for your feelings, and that’s something you’ll use your whole life.