What I Can and Cannot Control Worksheet

About this resource

What's inside this resource

Worksheet in which children can think about the elements in their life that they have control over and those which they do not.

Helping children distinguish between things they can control and things they cannot control can be helpful in several ways. It can help them develop a sense of agency and responsibility for their actions and choices, and reduce feelings of helplessness or anxiety about situations that are beyond their control. It can also help them prioritise their efforts and focus on what they can do to make positive changes in their lives, rather than getting bogged down by things they cannot change.

Additionally, distinguishing between things they can control and things they cannot control can be a helpful way for children to deal with their anger. It can help children feel better about their anger and can also help them to figure out how to deal with it in a healthy way.

This worksheet is linked with ideas from cognitive behavioral therapy. Cognitive behavioural therapy can be helpful for children in many ways. It can help children to understand and cope with their emotions in a more constructive way. It can also be used to teach children healthy coping strategies for managing their anger. Additionally, it can help children to develop better self-awareness and self-management skills.

Included are 2 PDF printable pages

In the classroom

Teaching tips & learning objectives

Teaching tips

Have students cut apart the 20 phrase cards and sort them into a 'things I can control' and 'things I can't control' pile before gluing, since the file itself only supplies the phrases to sort.
Choose the American or British/Canadian spelling variant to match your students' regional spelling conventions.
Use the sorted result as a discussion starter about coping with things outside one's control, such as the weather or other people's actions.

Skills covered

Locus-of-control categorization — students sort everyday situations and behaviors into what they can and cannot personally control.
Cut-and-paste fine motor sorting — students physically cut apart and glue phrase cards under the correct heading.

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Resource details

Concepts & topics

Core concepts

locus of control
social emotional learning
self-regulation

Topics

CBT SEN counselling control anger Self-awareness Coping Skills Stress Management Mindfulness

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