Holding onto Grudges

Help children understand and manage grudges with this engaging poster and worksheet. Holding onto grudges and onto unfair or hurtful feelings can be hard, but learning to recognise and release them supports emotional wellbeing and helps children enjoy life and relationships more fully. This resource is suitable for every child, including those with PDA or autism, who may experience strong emotional reactions and benefit from clear strategies to manage and let go of lingering negative feelings.

This resource was a request from and ELSA working with Autistic and Children with PDA.

With this resource, children will:

• Learn why the brain can get stuck on situations that feel unfair or hurtful
• Recognise the signs of lingering feelings, such as tension, irritability, or replaying events in their mind
• Understand why holding onto grudges isn’t helpful, including:
• Feel supported in managing strong emotions, particularly children with PDA or autism who may find letting go more challenging

Why it helps all children:

• Encourages a healthy emotional response instead of bottling up or replaying hurtful events
• Supports the development of self-regulation skills
• Promotes positive social interactions and empathy

This poster and worksheet are perfect for classroom displays, group work, or one-to-one support. By using them, children gain tools to notice their feelings, reflect on them, and take steps toward letting go which builds resilience and emotional wellbeing for life.

The poster is set up for A3 Printing but you may print on A4 if you wish. The worksheet is set for A4 printing.

Download Poster: Grudges

Download Comic Worksheet: Fixing a stuck thought